Four Cochrane-area students showed other students from around the province what they were made of at the 18th annual Provincial Skills Canada Competition in Edmonton.

The competition, which ran May 12-13, is an interactive event designed to profile talented young tradespeople in the province.

Winners go on to earn a spot on Team Alberta and could eventually make it to the Canadian team to compete at the 2011 Worldskills event in London, England.

St. Timothy Grade 12 students Katie Dal Pra and Brittany Balawyder both attended the event.

Dal Pra competed in the fashion technology category, where she was challenged to design her own blouse.

“It was pretty competitive but it was cool to sit around and have people come and watch you,” she said of the event.

Balawyder, who competed in cabinet making, said she thought it would be a good skill to have and she enjoys building.

“I love working with my hands.”

Brittany Balawyder competes in cabinet making at the 18th annual Provincial Skills Canada Competition, where she placed 13th out of 25 spots. Photo submitted

Balawyder didn’t place but said she felt good about her project, building a saw horse with a tool hopper.

“I felt pretty good about my project. It was pretty hard to get the timing right,” Balawyder said, adding she had 11 hours to complete the project.

“Even if you didn’t place it was pretty fun.”

Two Cochrane area post-secondary students also competed.

Conner Semple, who is in his third year of apprenticeship for automotive repair at SAIT, competed in car painting, tying for first in points, but being awarded second after a decision by the judges.

Semple said it wasn’t the difficulty of the task that put him in second place.

“It wasn’t so much difficult but they are really picky,” he said of the judges, adding it was all in the very small details.

“You just have to follow the rules exactly.”

Semple said he is pleased with how he did and if he can compete again the next time around he will.

Local Pake MacKinnon also competed in electrical wiring.

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