July 14, 2025 • 40 mins
The CWB Association is thrilled to collaborate with Skills/Compétences Canada on a special podcast series. This year, we are excited to interview the Skills Canada Executive Directors from across Canada. Tune in as we explore their skills journey and commitment to promoting skilled trades in their provinces and territories!
Courtney Donovan, Executive Director of Skills Canada New Brunswick, has transformed the organization from an unknown entity with minimal participation to a powerhouse connecting youth with life-changing career opportunities. New Brunswick's team has grown from 10 competitors in eight areas to 45 team members competing in 42 areas at the Skills Canada National Skills Competition. What makes the Skills Canada experience so powerful is its ability to break down barriers and to open doors, creating connections between generations of tradespeople. Looking ahead, Courtney's vision includes expanding training opportunities through interprovincial and international competitions, leveraging New Brunswick's unique status as Canada's only bilingual province.
Website: https://www.skillscanadanb.com/
Follow Skills/Compétences Canada:
Website: https://www.skillscompetencescanada.com/en/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/SkillsCanadaOfficial
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/skillscompetencescanada/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/skills_canada
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/skillscanada
There is no better time to be a member! The CWB Association membership is new, improved, and focused on you. We offer a FREE membership with a full suite of benefits to build your career, stay informed, and support the Canadian welding industry. https://www.cwbgroup.org/association/become-a-member
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:01):
All right, I can check.
Check, I'm good.
So I'm Max Duran.
I'm Max Duran, I'm the CWBAssociation Welding Podcast, pod
, pod podcast.
Today we have a really coolguest welding podcast.
The show is about to begin.
Hello and welcome to anotheredition of the CWB Association
(00:27):
podcast.
This is a part of our wonderfulspecial series with Skills
Canada competitions and we areinterviewing all the executive
directors of the provinces andterritories of this country.
We're having such a good timehere in sunny, beautiful Regina,
saskatchewan, which is the hostof Skills Canada's competitions
this year.
Today I got Courtney Donovanhere, who is an old friend,
(00:49):
fantastic lady and a realcomrade bro love you.
Yeah, second time on the showhere, like within a few weeks.
I know I feel famous now likewell, you are, but you were
famous before, uh maybe just inNew Brunswick, but we're
spreading out, we're spreadingout, we're spreading out so
let's talk a little bit firstabout the team.
How many people are here fromnew brunswick?
(01:09):
How many?
How much staff?
What's what do you got going on?
Speaker 2 (01:12):
so we have 45 team members here, 42 competition
areas, which is by far the mostpeople we've ever sent.
I think the I noticed thewalkout.
You guys had a big team we dohave a big team and that's not
trainers yeah um, we actuallyonly have three trainers here
with us.
It's mostly chaperones because,again, our high school
delegation is so large.
Yeah, um, we have 25 secondarystudents here with us.
(01:35):
This year when I first started,we were bringing 10 in eight
areas.
Speaker 1 (01:39):
I remember one year there was like three.
Yeah, you know we, we.
Speaker 2 (01:42):
So we've really expanded and the growth in the
competition areas at thesecondary and post-secondary
level, um, and for me that wasreally important because these
are all areas and educationthat's obviously offered in our
province but by us notparticipating, those students in
those careers or just in thoseprograms in general didn't have
that same opportunity.
Um, so it's really important tome to kind of find them and
(02:04):
link them to the competitions.
There's still some we don'tparticipate in but we're in far
more.
Speaker 1 (02:09):
You want to fill those gaps oh.
Speaker 2 (02:11):
I am going to fill them all.
I'm you know even even the onesthat we don't even teach in the
province.
I'm like, okay, how do we getthat industry in the province?
Speaker 1 (02:19):
So I can then compete , you know Well and that's an
interesting thing that you bringup is that not all provinces
compete in all things.
I think there's a generalthought that this is skills,
here's the number, here's allthe competencies you can compete
in, and every province is goingto do it all.
But that's just not reasonable,it's not doable right.
Speaker 2 (02:39):
And it's not just that, it's again the industry.
Speaker 1 (02:46):
If the program isn't there or the industry isn't in
your province, how do you findLike shipbuilding in
Saskatchewan right, exactlyright.
Speaker 2 (02:50):
How do you make those connections?
And again, some of the highschool programs that are
competitions that we'recompeting in this year.
We don't have those programs inNew Brunswick at the high
school level, so to for us to beable to, you know, have someone
here.
Speaker 1 (03:06):
It's making sure that industry is engaged so that
those competitors can actuallytrain with industry because the
program's on their school, yeah,um now, there's been a lot of
investment in new brunswick inthe last few years and you know,
sometimes you see investmentdollars get announced in
provinces and you're like, oh,yeah, yeah, yeah.
But I feel and maybe because Ilove the maritimes and maybe
because I, because I have such agreat relationship with you, I
(03:28):
know what's going on in newbrunswick.
But there's been some definiteforward movement in new
brunswick in terms of tradesprograms, the colleges, the new
schools, the new trainingcenters.
I feel like there's just thingsblowing up all over new
brunswick yeah, yeah, I mean,there always has been.
Speaker 2 (03:44):
We are, whether it's skills or, I think, new
Brunswick as a whole.
I continually feel like we arethe best kept secret.
Yeah, you know, I have theprivilege of going into the high
schools and going into thecolleges and seeing the programs
and the passion that exists and, again, the industry that
people have no idea that arethere, and not only what those
industries supply to theprovince but the country and the
(04:06):
world.
Um, and we're so bad aboutbragging ourselves up, we're so
bad at it, max.
Just so bad at being Canadian,like, come on, brag, I know so
so that's where, again, I getreally passionate about is is
figuring these things out,because I want people to know.
Speaker 1 (04:22):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (04:22):
And I was, and we've talked a lot about this.
Um, you know the rhetoric inNew Brunswick for a very long
time and it's still a little bit.
Is that there's nothing here?
Speaker 1 (04:30):
That's right.
You got to leave to make moneyyou have to leave, and not just
money.
Speaker 2 (04:32):
you have to leave for your education.
Speaker 1 (04:34):
Right.
Speaker 2 (04:35):
And now is one of those.
New Brunswick students knowthat that's not true.
Speaker 1 (04:42):
Yeah, you can do it all right there.
Speaker 2 (04:43):
You can do it all in your home, you don't have to
leave.
This is I've been around thecountry, I've been around the
world.
This is we have it great in ourprovince and there are so many
opportunities.
So, again, making sure thateveryone knows about those
opportunities and if I can helpin any way create more
opportunities, then you knowyeah, that's you will.
Speaker 1 (05:01):
That's my dream.
Yeah, making those.
You're a connector.
Yeah, like you're, like thatawesome piece in lego that fits
everything I try, I try whetherit's again my, my sport
background other coachingbackground and and again.
Speaker 2 (05:15):
I think growing up too, I was not exposed to the
trades.
I come from a family of alltrades people.
My dad's a welder, my mom's ahairdresser, my uncle's an hvac
and you know careers and havebeen there 40, 50 years and I
wasn't exposed to any of it soeven now understanding those
careers and that none of youknow, nothing can operate
without the trades yeah we holdthe doctors on such high
(05:37):
pedestals, but they can't dotheir job without any of the
trades yeah the hospital
Speaker 1 (05:40):
wouldn't even be there no, they wouldn't even
have a scalpel to use.
Exactly.
Speaker 2 (05:44):
So I think again, I feel so fortunate that I've been
almost able to marry those twoparts of my life.
Speaker 1 (05:51):
Let's talk about that , because that's one of the
things I wanted to do with theEDs specifically is get the
backstories, you know, like theorigin stories, because everyone
gets in the skills throughdifferent ways, right?
Some through the trades, somenot right.
Speaker 2 (06:09):
So how did you end up in this?
Speaker 1 (06:11):
role, so my mother has been, of course my mother.
Speaker 2 (06:14):
She has been a hairstyling NTC since 2009,.
I think she actually, sorry,started as a judge and when she
went to a Skills Canada nationalcompetition to judge in
hairstyling new brunswick didn'thave a competitor, and at that
time she then proceeded to callthe ed and say this is who I am.
Why don't we compete?
I'm going to make us acompetition and he was like oh,
(06:36):
I don't know who this randomwoman is but sure, okay um so
really, she started um and wouldcome home and talk about it
every year, and my again, myfather and I we don't know what
you're talking about.
You leave for a week, have fun.
It is what it is.
Speaker 1 (06:52):
It's just probably like there's so many welders
there, yeah, and we're stilllike we don't really know.
Speaker 2 (06:56):
And again, this is the and I totally get it,
because skills is the strangestthing to try and explain to
someone if you've never beenhere.
Right and fully understand thegreatness of all of this, and so
, anyways, a job posting came upafter New Brunswick had been
granted hosting the 2016National, and it was just for a
(07:19):
one-year marketing position, soI applied.
Speaker 1 (07:22):
Was that your background Marketing?
Speaker 2 (07:24):
Yeah, mostly sports, sports, marketing, sports.
So I applied and was that yourbackground marketing?
Yeah, mostly sports sportsmarketing sports.
Um, that was very much mybackground with the senators and
soccer canada and then helpingstart the national basketball
league of canada and and thenmostly monkton and get the team
up and anyways applied for thejob, ended up getting it Started
in January 2016 with no realexpectation.
(07:46):
The first few months, you know,it was fine.
Speaker 1 (07:48):
What was the state of the New Brunswick skills team
at that time?
I mean?
Speaker 2 (07:53):
We were 20 people and that was the largest team we'd
ever had, and it was because itwas in New Brunswick.
Speaker 1 (07:58):
Yeah, okay.
Speaker 2 (08:00):
Still very small.
Speaker 1 (08:01):
Yeah, compared to some of these.
And what about staff wise?
Staff still very small, yeah.
And what about staff-wise?
Speaker 2 (08:04):
Staff.
It had been one person since1998.
I was the second ever staffagain starting in 2016.
Yeah wow, and I had noexpectation.
I again did not know what thisworld was.
Our provincial competitionswere one or two at a time on
weekends.
No one came.
There was no.
I say say hoopla or anyexcitement and and definitely no
(08:28):
one paying attention.
Yeah, um, and then you know, wewe build up to the national
that year and all this setup andit was just the setup phase max
and I running around like acrazy person and looking at
somebody from alberta saying isamazing, why don't we do this
provincially?
Speaker 1 (08:46):
And he looks at me.
Speaker 2 (08:47):
He goes literally everyone else does.
Speaker 1 (08:49):
Yeah, all the time.
Speaker 2 (08:51):
Okay, so I'm really late to the game, but once we
you know we're in that firstnational and again, I knew
before we got through the setupphase that I was never going to
and I stayed in that role untilum november of 2019 and then I
moved into the executivedirector role um, and now we are
a team of five members and twocontract positions.
(09:12):
You know, full board.
That is extremely active um.
Speaker 1 (09:16):
It is representative of education, but also heavily
um industry and all industry so,in the six years you've been
with it, what have been some ofthe biggest success stories you
can see in your, in your, inyour tenure?
Speaker 2 (09:30):
Um the growth and just people knowing right, the
more the team grows, that's moreyouth I get to impact.
Our provincials are bigger.
We we went from having theseprovincial competitions that no
one attended to, none of thelargest in Canada.
Thereada, there are two day.
There's conferences again.
You guys came this year.
Um, there's thousands of kidsthat get to walk through see the
(09:51):
competition, plus all thosestudents that now have that
platform provincially that wedid not have for, you know, 20
plus years for the kids to seethe opportunity that they may
not even know existed right andteachers and parents, like even
the amount of parents we havehere this year.
We've never had that yeah so theinterest is starting, and and
(10:12):
again.
Not that we're late to the game, but we're catching up.
Um so so, growing the team initself, I say was is a big piece
yeah because and I wantstudents here, yeah, um, but
programming, we didn't doprogramming before you, you know
so even introducingmanufacturing into the schools.
Speaker 1 (10:28):
That has been an incredible thing for us to do Um
starting.
It's so needed out there, soneeded.
Speaker 2 (10:34):
Um, and even you know a lot of the in-school programs
specifically for young girls,bringing in, you know, all the
nines and tens and introducingthem to you know shop, not only
in their school but making sureit's linked to careers, and
bringing in industry in theirspecific area.
Yeah, um, so again reallyhelping to make that change what
about the sponsors?
Speaker 1 (10:56):
you know, because that's something that I see lots
with with lots of the differentprovinces.
Some provinces one or twosponsors and you go to another
province they got 100 sponsorsand that's a big part, because
there is limited funding, thereis limited resources and getting
that sponsor network is huge tobe able to grow.
How's that changed in your sixyears?
so we had none when I startedzero is not a good number, so I
(11:19):
I kid like this is so, um, whenI first started our uh, all of
our funding came from thefederal government.
Speaker 2 (11:26):
So when I again first started, my position was the
first bigger or largerinvestment from our provincial
government, which again hascontinued to grow.
Skilltree is New Brunswick andNew Brunswick is fabulous.
We love working with them.
But then the industry.
It was again important to me.
What are we training thesepeople for?
So, the more we engage themagain, it's, it's to offer that
(11:48):
direct connection.
But they also then want tosupport us, right, because they
see the good work we're doing.
Yeah, um, and we have a lot ofpartners now you know we've
started even a bit of a tour innew brunswick we've got some
stuff going on, so um Well, thenthe kids are connected.
Speaker 1 (12:03):
They are and, like these sponsors and supporters,
they're basically investing intotheir own workforce.
Speaker 2 (12:11):
Yes.
Speaker 1 (12:11):
Like I mean they're going to poach all the best kids
, 100%.
Speaker 2 (12:13):
Yes, and that's what we want, and that's good.
Yeah, that's exactly what youwant, like, come to the
competitions, come for your, youknow.
Speaker 1 (12:20):
You always want to be taken in the draft.
Speaker 2 (12:22):
Always.
Speaker 1 (12:22):
Always, doesn't matter who at the end of the day
and again.
Speaker 2 (12:25):
That's really important for me to make sure
those partners are there andengaged, because I want them to
have the best Right.
I don't especially oursecondary students that are so
engaged.
I want them to make thoseconnections before they, you
know, think they have to gosomewhere else because there
isn't a, you know, a future forthem in the trades.
I want them to find a job here,right I, I want them to
(12:46):
naturally have those connectionsand and be oh it's you know
easier to go to university andget a business degree.
Well, why didn't we continue onthat welding path right?
So I think even and we have, Iwant to say, at least 50
partners, down in new brunswickat least I.
I don't even want to startdating them because I will
forget, but it's that mutuallybeneficial for both sides.
(13:07):
That's so again, like you, said, and a worthy investment.
I tend to be a bit of aconnector, whether I mean to or
not, but it's just so importantfor me because, again, the more
we can do that then we're notlosing people through the gaps,
or whether we're talking aboutduplication or wasted funds,
it's or wasted funds.
Speaker 1 (13:25):
It's how do we build all the team bigger um again,
whether it's partners or, yeah,actual kids.
So on our last podcast wetalked a little bit about how
you know, we went to kazantogether.
We were in russia.
I love that you shared thatpicture.
That was a beautiful picture itwas.
I completely forgot we took that, but uh, it was a good find but
now, like you know, in your ed,in your ed chair you you've
been to a world right.
Even I don't think newbrunswick had anyone attend that
world's that you're doingautomotive service.
(13:46):
It was our first and only evercompetitor so far in automotive
service so so you know, you goout there with one, one person,
with team canada, to anothercountry to compete at the world,
and I mean our nationals.
No joke, it's big, it's awesome, like this is huge here, but
worlds I kazan was 78 hectares.
Speaker 2 (14:06):
Yeah, if I recall it was.
Speaker 1 (14:08):
They actually built new buildings just for that like
it's olympic level it's olympiclevel and abu dhabi in 2017 was
the same thing so how do youbring that experience back now?
You weren't ed at that time.
Right now you are.
How do you bring thatexperience back into this realm
to help, either you know asupport your, your province, and
(14:31):
be like you can get to thislevel, or be, you know, be more
proactive on us attending orbeing or hosting that stuff so
there's a theme with me again alittle little bit of a
connection.
Speaker 2 (14:44):
You know, this competition actually is probably
the first time we've had peoplepurposely trained trying to
make Team Canada.
Speaker 1 (14:50):
Good, good, and you have to.
To get to that level, you haveto.
Speaker 2 (14:55):
But again, it's through the partnerships.
It's through the UA213.
It's through JTC, it's throughour New Brunswick Building
Trades Unions and again throughSkilled, through our New
Brunswick building trades unionsand again through skilled
trades, new Brunswick, that weare able to support these people
and and that's what I want tocontinue to grow Right and
because, again, it's thatopportunity not only for that
student who's trying to getthese accolades and reach that
(15:18):
level, but then everyone gets towin.
Speaker 1 (15:21):
Yeah, Everyone gets comes up like Everyone A rising
tide raises all ships.
Speaker 2 (15:25):
Yes, His community, his high school.
That is a win that everyone isgoing to get celebrate.
So that's been really importantto me again to get that
messaging out there, or just noteven messaging, just
understanding of what theopportunity really is.
You know, we throw money atathletes and don't even think
twice about it.
Speaker 1 (15:43):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (15:44):
And and we need sport .
That's not where I'm going withthis you know, but when again
the pandemic happened.
Speaker 1 (15:49):
Entertainment sport the world stopped, except for
the trade except for the trade.
Speaker 2 (15:54):
So, again, we need these people to to be excelling,
we need them to ourinfrastructure, just the safety
of the world.
So, again, to be able to givethem this platform and then
bring those partners in thatwouldn't typically get an
opportunity to do this yeahthat's so important to me that's
awesome.
Speaker 1 (16:12):
Now, yourself, you know when you look at the path
that you had to get into this.
You come from a sportsbackground.
You do a little bit of workwith skills.
You get, like I said earlier,you dip your finger into the
pool.
Next thing you know you'reswimming because it just draws
you in.
Now, what skills have youlearned?
What has skills taught youabout you know your own personal
(16:33):
development so much yeah Istopped.
I've been stopping people onthis question, yeah um one.
Speaker 2 (16:41):
I didn't know that I wanted to work with youth this
much yeah, you know I.
I had a high school.
My high school principalactually told me one day he goes
, you're gonna be a teacher.
Speaker 1 (16:49):
I said absolutely yeah, you're like oh, gross
absolutely not.
Speaker 2 (16:52):
I can see me coaching , but I will never be a teacher
yeah um, but doing this type ofwork I get to have that.
I don't want to say same effect,because teachers do yeah so
much um, but I get a glimpse ofit you have a, you have a
connection there, yeah, yeah andand helping people is just so
important to me and I again thisjob, as we talked about a
(17:13):
little bit before and I will not, but it has been a crazy seven
days leading up, like insane,probably the last almost 10
years.
The last seven days threw mefor a loop, but again you're
going for the kids.
Speaker 1 (17:26):
Well, and it's honing your skills.
You're an executive director.
This is a skill set, right yeah?
Speaker 2 (17:31):
You know, being adaptable, because that's all
this is At the end of the day.
The only thing that reallymatters to me is those
competitors, experience, or justyouth having an experience at
one of our events and thevolunteers and the NTCs and PTCs
.
Speaker 1 (17:45):
You want them all to have a good time.
Speaker 2 (17:46):
Everyone, right because this is again even those
people.
They're typically in the backof shops and they're so
passionate about their trade ortechnology area but they still
don't get that same opportunity.
And to see those volunteersjust get so excited to support
the future generation andstudents and you get to be.
You know, isn't EV a small partof?
Speaker 1 (18:07):
organizing any of that.
You see those organicconnections happen where it's,
you know, the 18-year-old andthe 50-year-old and they would
have never run into each otherjust in random.
But then you see themconnecting and imbuing that like
I mean the kids given the olderperson energy and life again,
and the older person's givingback experience and and, and you
(18:27):
know, and mentorship.
That's a beautiful thing towitness yes, like again I.
Speaker 2 (18:32):
If I start telling you too, too many of the
messages the kids have beensending the last couple days, I
will definitely cry, because I'ma crier, but it, oh my god, you
probably get me at some pointthis week, but it's again when
you're getting messages frompeople and you're just trying to
do your job and then you get amessage from a student that just
tells you that you've changedtheir whole life again, I
(18:52):
probably will cry you've changedtheir whole life trajectory.
Speaker 1 (18:55):
Yeah, just you being you, yeah it's uh, yeah, it's
impactful.
Speaker 2 (19:01):
It's been again, again I doesn't that invigorate
you?
Speaker 1 (19:05):
doesn't that fill your cup?
Speaker 2 (19:05):
yeah and I don't know how I could ever leave.
People are always like what'syour next step?
I'm like what do you mean likehere?
What am I like?
What projects am I working onnext?
Because I'm not leaving umsorry guys succession plan.
Yeah like no, I'm here, likeour again, our old president,
john oats, in russia.
(19:26):
I did an interview with him andhe told me then he goes skills
is like mafia once you're in,you're in yeah you might leave
for a bit, but you you'll comeback to the familia phone is
always on and you there wouldwill be a time you get that call
and it's so funny because againour welder on the yeah um, he
is trying to make team canadaright now and I saw him this
morning and his, his trainer ishere, and his trainer is an
(19:51):
alumni who's also a national uhmedalist, who you interviewed
when you were in new brunswickyeah and I said to evan
yesterday on the bus.
I said did you, did you everreally think you'd be back?
He goes, absolutely not.
Speaker 1 (20:02):
But he goes.
It's the best thing ever.
You silly duck, we knew you'dbe back.
Speaker 2 (20:05):
Yeah, come on now, especially your UA.
Speaker 1 (20:07):
Come on, you were coming back.
Speaker 2 (20:10):
You're too in there, whether you realize it or not.
But yeah, just being any smallpart of that, it even any small
part of that, it's just again,it's, it's shocking that it gets
to be.
Speaker 1 (20:23):
And this world is not for everyone, don't get me
wrong.
Yeah, it is a little crazy.
Speaker 2 (20:25):
It's kind of crazy and hectic it is yeah it is, but
if you are one of those peoplethat this is for you, what you
get out of this week just makesall the chaos completely worth
it I don't understand.
Speaker 1 (20:38):
Maybe I just don't get it because I'm I'm simple,
but how can someone come to anational skills event and not
come out of these three daysjust invigorated with energy?
You know like I tell people allthe time, like as a trades
person.
Even the welders I just runinto, like some manufacturing
shop, they're happy with theirwelding job.
(20:59):
They're not thinking bigpicture, they're already done.
But I say to them still if atsome point in your life you have
the opportunity to attend anational skills competition, do
it it'll.
It'll even give you pride inyour own trade that you didn't
even know you had right, no, andhonestly, my dad?
Speaker 2 (21:16):
he was a welder at the same shop for almost 30
years and then he's beenteaching the welding technology
engineering program at acommunity college in New
Brunswick for almost 20 yearsnow.
And I don't think he understoodhis I don't want to say worth,
but the career you know he evenhad that stigma about his own
(21:37):
trade.
Yeah, I struggled with that too.
Speaker 1 (21:38):
Until I started in this job, I called myself just a
weld stigma about his own trade.
Yeah, I struggled with that too.
Until I started in this job, Icalled myself just a welder for
a long time.
Speaker 2 (21:43):
Yeah, and you know.
So when I first started, I'mbecause I really took an
interest.
I went through all the shops,all the programs at all the
community colleges.
Take me through.
I want to understand.
I used to have really longstiletto nails and I would do
electrical, I would takeelectrical lessons, I would do
masonry car painting.
Because again I really want toknow and again I remember going
(22:04):
through a shop and he'sexplaining to me and why did you
send me to university?
I would have loved this programand you know I'll never forget
the look on his face and it's um.
But even that I think I've beenable to help him because I
value the career so much and andyou know the stigma that a lot
of the generations have, youknow don't yeah.
Speaker 1 (22:27):
Do you feel that stigma is breaking down?
Do you think it's gettingbetter?
Speaker 2 (22:31):
I do like we're talking new brunswick I do
because, first of all, I don'tthink people have a choice you
know where he work is work.
Speaker 1 (22:38):
You need to work well , not just that.
Speaker 2 (22:39):
I mean all.
All over the country and reallyin New Brunswick, we're hearing
about shortages whether it'slabor shortages, whether it's
construction and the housingshortage, but even you know, as
important as construction iswhen we're talking about that
and massive shortages, well, westill need to make sure we're
taking care of manufacturing andtransportation, because
construction can't do their jobalso without those industries.
So that's all really importantto me and it's just continuing
(23:03):
to go at it and again, the morewe have these shortages and talk
about them, whether you want tobelieve there's a stigma or not
, or that these jobs you know,jobs are still there, yeah.
But it's also kind of uphold.
Well, yeah because it's keepingyou know things from moving on
and people are seeing that rightand you know it's hard to not
value a job that, when you needa house, built you need some
(23:25):
work done and you can't findanyone.
Speaker 1 (23:27):
Yeah, and you want your kids, even as a parent, to
have a good job that has pensionand benefits and they're
secured.
You don't want them out likethe big, the big it of the 80s
and 90s.
When I was coming up, everyonehad to go into computer science.
That was the future.
Meanwhile, 90 of my friendsthat went into computer science
have never worked in computerscience because, a the jobs paid
(23:47):
garbage and b they weren't thatmany.
It was like a false narrative,right no, and anyways it's.
Speaker 2 (23:56):
I don't know where I was going, sorry I lost my train
of thought that's, uh, that'sthe adhd kicking in there.
But, uh, no, I I agree andagain, any part that I can have
and just helping, just educatepeople right, like we have a.
We have a mom here.
I don't want to out her too bad, but she, uh, she actually
works for one of these schooldistricts in the province and so
(24:16):
her son's here competing, soshe decided to, you know, come
along high school student andshe goes.
He's a really smart student andwhen she he told me he wanted to
go to a community college andtake this, she goes.
As a mom, my heart was broke noyou know just that automatic oh
, you're settling or somethingright, and then she goes, and
then I come here and see allthis and she goes.
(24:37):
Now I can't wait for his futureyeah so again to see it even in
real time yeah, and and nowthat is again.
Somebody that works at adistrict in the province of new
brunswick is gonna go back, youknow, has this completely new
view.
Speaker 1 (24:52):
Those people talk you know and spread the word.
Speaker 2 (24:55):
They do and and it's, it's important it's.
Speaker 1 (24:58):
It's really important .
What's some of the obstaclesyou've had to face.
You know, coming into this edrole like small team, no
sponsors, limited budget, like Imean, what, what?
What?
Were a couple things on yourlist right away, like I gotta
fix it best kept secret.
No one knew we were there yeahno one knew just like marketing,
(25:19):
really, you know marketing.
Speaker 2 (25:20):
No one knew we existed um provincially,
nationally, internationally.
The thought prior to mestarting was we're not going to
tell kids, you know even the fewpresentations that we would do
in school.
We're not going to tell kidsabout world skills because we
never make it where when I camein, it's well.
Maybe we're not making itbecause they don't know they can
(25:41):
yeah, like I mean you gotta setthe bar right, yeah um, so a
lot of that and again, havingthat marketing background, um,
and our office had been infredericton, which is, you know,
our province's capital, and wewere in a government building.
Um, we, were kind of not evenin sight, not in sight, and so
the first thing I did was putour office directly in one of
(26:02):
the bigger community colleges inthe province yeah um.
So you know is that mbcc?
Moncton, it is mbcc yeah, andwe're, and we're still there um
and I love that college.
It's all the guys there too yeah, and and again, whether it's
mbcc, ccmb, they have both beenso supportive in this um.
We work so much with ourcolleges.
We couldn't have moved to thebig model without their support
(26:25):
in the slightest.
But yeah, it just takeseveryone, and being able to pull
all those pieces together andalmost help them realize what
they have and how good they are.
Speaker 1 (26:38):
I love it Now with your 42 competitors, that you
have here 45.
45 competitors 42 areas.
Okay, 45 competitors, 42 areas.
Is anybody here on a world'srip Like, is anyone doing a
second time?
Is anyone on a gold?
I mean they're all goldsprovincially.
Speaker 2 (26:54):
So again, josh Richard, our welder,
post-secondary welder, ua 213,he has his site set and again
he's in the partners.
We would not, he would not havebeen able to have the training
he has had without their support.
That has been huge.
(27:14):
So he's here trying.
Our robotics team has let meknow that they are actually
trying.
Speaker 1 (27:20):
They're in the running, which, again, I was not
expecting.
Speaker 2 (27:22):
They are a secondary team.
They're two high schoolstudents.
I would never put any pressure,but I like to hear it.
Speaker 1 (27:28):
I like to hear it Go for it.
Speaker 2 (27:29):
But that's also as we grow and as people in the
province know.
The provincial competitions arenow getting more competitive.
Speaker 1 (27:36):
Yeah, which then keeps creeping up.
Exactly.
Speaker 2 (27:39):
So our national team, naturally, is getting a little
bit more competitive, and whilewe only brought home three
medals last year, I think we hadand if I'm remembering
correctly we had at least 10others that were just within
points of either.
Speaker 1 (27:52):
And the points are tight, so tight.
So tight, like the littlesterror and there's 11 people tied
for fifth Right, Right, andyou're like oh man.
Speaker 2 (28:03):
So we have.
I say those two that I knowspecifically are trying Everyone
else.
If they do, they haven't maybe.
Speaker 1 (28:10):
That'd be great, but it's an experience, exactly, but
.
Speaker 2 (28:12):
I will everyone else if they do.
They, you know, haven't that'dbe great, but it's an experience
exactly.
Um.
But I will say we have a uh,alice, our car painter.
She won a gold medal her firstskills national competition.
She came back last year, didn'tplace oh, wow so she is back
with a vengeance to say theleast, um alice is.
Is you know here to take names?
So I say keep an eye on her.
(28:34):
Yeah and um, who else?
But yeah, like we uh.
Speaker 1 (28:38):
William taylor, he's here in carpentry his second
time you know, last year onetime like as as in my experience
, if you can get that two runperson, it makes such a
difference because they knowwhat they're getting into yes,
and and just the, the nerves,and again, just man.
I talked to those welders thismorning there I said to one of
(29:00):
the, the ntcs there I'm like youcan smell the fear in this room
, like I'm not gonna say that tothem.
But oh man, their eyes all looklike little caged ears.
You know, it's like I had.
Speaker 2 (29:10):
I told them all like relax, I take a breath, drink
some water and even like this isum the first year, we're
competing in a bunch of it areas, oh fun so it was so funny,
funny, not funny.
Back when skills was gettingset up in new brunswick, our
premier at the time, uh, wasactually pulling shops out of
high schools because we weregoing to happening here in
sketch right now we were thatgoing to be a tech province, um,
(29:33):
so that took a lot ofturnaround, but again, the funny
part is we never competed inweird.
Speaker 1 (29:39):
How'd that work?
Speaker 2 (29:40):
we never did so this year we again.
I think we have at least eightcompetitors who are competing in
tech areas, all brand new to us.
We're competing in car paintingand auto body at the high
school level.
Those programs aren't evenoffered in schools right In.
Speaker 1 (29:56):
New Brunswick, that's wild Again.
Speaker 2 (29:58):
Industry partnerships , yeah that's amazing Because,
again for them, if they canstart working with these
students earlier and trainingthem, it's better for everyone
too, if the interest is thereright.
So again, it's making thatconnection.
It's just again finding apassion for all this that.
I had no idea I would ever havein this lightest.
Again, it was very much goingto be a one-year contract for me
(30:20):
.
Speaker 1 (30:22):
What would you have done?
Speaker 2 (30:23):
Probably go back to sports.
Speaker 1 (30:25):
Yeah, yeah, I would imagine Did you get this rush of
love and energy in the sportsworld?
Were you feeling it?
Because of love and energy inthe sports world where you feel
in it, because I mean that'salso very desirable fun jobs and
you're working with youngpeople in careers.
Speaker 2 (30:43):
Yeah, I mean I, I loved it, don't get me wrong.
Speaker 1 (30:44):
Yeah but is?
But do you got this?
Yeah, you got 200 kids walkingby is amazing yeah, you know,
this is, this is everything yeahand it just it doesn't compare.
Speaker 2 (30:54):
It doesn't compare.
And again, bringing the teamhere, even just our team that we
have here, one thing we didn'ttalk about we had at least 10
kids in our team who had neverbeen on a flight before.
Speaker 1 (31:02):
Oh my God, how did that go All good.
I mean, we got here A coupleout of hands.
Speaker 2 (31:08):
No, but that's the thing, even just giving that
experience right, it's justoutside the border.
Break those barriers, yeah, andthen you see a bunch of
students who didn't know eachother and then you know we're
one, one half day in and they'reall bonding and making that
team and just that in itself,especially like every team here
wants every single one of theircompetitors on the podium
because they're just fabulous.
(31:29):
Yeah, they're all fabulous,yeah um, but no that being able
again to create any of that forthese students is just the best
thing in the world.
Like I, I truly feel blessedthat I get to do this, even on
the, even on the hard days evenon the hard, even on the hard
days.
Speaker 1 (31:46):
Now, what about?
You know, like your wish list,because I'm sure you got some
things you want to do and yougot projects in mind.
What do you got on the wishlist coming up next?
Speaker 2 (31:57):
I got some stuff I want to do, you know.
Speaker 1 (32:00):
Top secret?
Apparently no, no.
Speaker 2 (32:03):
Again, background in sports Not too top secret.
I still want to train more.
And training is important to me, not just provincially but
nationally.
Speaker 1 (32:13):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (32:14):
Interprovincial training, bringing more
opportunity to our competitors.
Speaker 1 (32:17):
The US does so much of that with their competitors.
Speaker 2 (32:21):
So I guess next project is how I create more of
that for New Brunswick.
Right, we are the onlybilingual province.
Speaker 1 (32:28):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (32:29):
That is our superpower.
We don't always use it as oursuperpower you can go anywhere
you can and, and even on thatnote, because we're the only
bilingual province, it makes iteasier for the rest of the
country to come to us yeah um soagain.
Speaker 1 (32:42):
Projects in the works on how I would love to see how
you do that, because when, whenwe went to skills with adam, we
sent them to competitions in theus.
Send them to competitions inother provinces, because you
need to start doing that, likeyou can't just sit in your in
your booth and think that that'senough to win, no right and,
and even on a winning scale,just again the opportunity you
(33:04):
know, if, if we all startprovincially start doing that,
what does that then do for ourindustry?
Speaker 2 (33:09):
what does?
That then do for mobility?
Speaker 1 (33:11):
yeah, um, and confidence of the kids to know
that they can handle it anywhere.
Speaker 2 (33:15):
Yeah, um and again.
So next project is is how I domore of that new brunswick, how
I create more opportunity notonly for our students in our
province, but create moreopportunity for everyone in the
country to come to new brunswickand you get a little bit of
that.
Speaker 1 (33:33):
Do you want to show off that province so bad?
Speaker 2 (33:34):
Oh I love it, I just love it.
Again, I don't know.
I love it, but it's also again,I think, because for my whole
childhood that rhetoric I heard.
And now this is, I feel, likemy service to everyone else, to
you know, get the message out.
Speaker 1 (33:51):
I feel you feel like my service to everyone else, to
you know, get the message out.
Speaker 2 (33:55):
I feel, yeah, I'm in saskatchewan, right, and
saskatchewan honestly gets badmouth quite a bit, I know,
across canada I was gonna say Ifeel like we're like opposite
ends, but there's a lot of thesame, not, you know, messaging
or just ugly speak right.
Speaker 1 (34:05):
Yeah, but now, literally in the last three days
, all these people coming hereand seeing the city and the
facilities, all I've heardpeople say is like I had no idea
regina was so pretty.
I had no, I had no idea reginawas so green, had so much the
beautiful lake downtown, thebeautiful downtown area, this
amazing facility.
I'm like, yeah, I've beentrying to tell you guys that
it's awesome here for a longtime.
(34:25):
Yeah, yeah, well on that note.
Speaker 2 (34:28):
Uh, funny, but not funny because the math is not
mathing, because in my head I'mstill only 25.
But my first time here was 20years ago for canada games wow,
for the summer games, summergames yeah, um, I was on new
brunswick basketball team andour canada games was in regina
and I remember coming here yearsago.
Speaker 1 (34:47):
Yeah, again in my head.
Speaker 2 (34:48):
I'm only so the math ain't mathing, but I remember
the same thing Our team, we were, you know, oh, this Canada
Games was here.
Speaker 1 (34:57):
Why do we have to go to Regina?
Speaker 2 (35:00):
And we came here and everyone had an excellent time.
Like you said, it is abeautiful city and not somewhere
that you know many people mightjust travel to or vacation to
Right.
So it's a really neat way forpeople to come here and again.
Now they might come back onvacation come visit you.
Speaker 1 (35:16):
That was gonna be my last question.
What's your experience withthis skill so far?
How are you finding this venue,the organization, how's it been
going so far?
Speaker 2 (35:24):
It's great.
I mean it's just gettingstarted, but it's great.
I love the venue.
It is massive, huge yeah, everytime my board member is like we
need to bring this back to NewBrunswick.
I'm like, again, we don't haveanything, we're just happy to
build it with you.
Speaker 1 (35:39):
Yeah, I will gladly, and you don't want to have the
rain.
Apocalypse of Halifax.
Speaker 2 (35:43):
Right, right, like I'm more than happy and I don't
think people realize Right Againwhen I'm saying they have three
hundred and eighty thousandsquare foot of just competition
space.
I know Insane, that's insane.
Speaker 1 (36:01):
Insane.
Speaker 2 (36:02):
And it's, it's, it's.
This competition is not goingto stop growing.
Speaker 1 (36:06):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (36:07):
If anything.
Oh, I know my team's just goingto keep growing.
Like I, until we can, newBrunswick is in every single
category.
I am not going to stop, um, butit's just going to keep growing
.
And again, the need is there.
The one is there, whether we'retalking about the shortage and
industry needing to come herebecause they need to recruit and
get these people, or whetherit's the students coming to
visit because, again, that'ssome of that stigma is being
(36:28):
relieved and people moreinterested in in learning about
the education and the careers.
Um, this isn't going to stopgrowing.
Like I can't wait to see wherethis is in another 10 years.
Speaker 1 (36:39):
Yeah, I'm very interested too to see you know
at what level do we take it to,especially since Canada is
growing and is strengthening andyou know the the countries that
we normally competed againstthat were always stronger and
bigger, are not as big or asstrong.
It's like we're catching up,Right.
So it's like you guys all watchout, we're coming, we're coming
(36:59):
, yeah.
Speaker 2 (37:00):
And again, that's even, I feel that provincially
Right.
Speaker 1 (37:03):
Yeah, we're coming.
Speaker 2 (37:04):
Yeah, we are coming.
Speaker 1 (37:06):
Yeah, so watch out.
Speaker 2 (37:07):
Yeah, once we again start, once everyone knows that
this is an opportunity, andespecially that international is
an opportunity.
We will not be making TeamCanada by accident anymore.
Speaker 1 (37:18):
I can tell you that Awesome Last question yeah, For
any of these competitors thatare coming to people listening
that are just learning aboutskills, thinking about getting
into skills, what's a piece ofadvice that you would give a
young competitor that wants toget into skills?
Speaker 2 (37:31):
Do it, don't think twice about it, don't hesitate,
doesn't matter what area, justdo it.
I again, I've gone to I don'tknow how many national
basketball tournaments.
I did the canada game, saying Idid the university basketball.
It was great, don't get mewrong.
But if I get to be 16 again, Iwould purely just be playing
sports at school and this wouldbe everything.
What, what trade?
Speaker 1 (37:52):
would you be?
Oh my god oh my god, what trade.
What would you like you knowingwhat you know now?
What would you do?
Speaker 2 (38:00):
it'd be a hard toss-up between welding or
millwright you love welders somuch.
Speaker 1 (38:06):
Is it because of your dad?
Speaker 2 (38:08):
no, I just love what so we're just the best.
Probably shouldn't say this,but especially during covid um,
when again work was a little bitslower.
Everything I was in the shoplot.
I generally wanted to learn howto weld yeah um, so I do well
you are pretty good we have awelder at home.
Yeah, I joke often.
I'm like if I ever get sick ofthis, you guys will see me on
(38:29):
the competition floor like, yeah, if it ever happens.
Speaker 1 (38:32):
I mean you are a little over 25 now, that's okay.
Speaker 2 (38:34):
I mean I don't have to make it to worlds I can just
do provincials and nationals, uh, but no, like I, I probably
would.
I just I love it and I thinkit's the diversity of both the
trades to be honest and um, Ithink you guys interviewed
calvin getchell when you were innew brunswick and he has a red
seal in both of them.
Speaker 1 (38:51):
He's a national medalist in both of them yeah,
and I think too, and his accentis adorable little saint stephen
boy, little saint stephen boy,uh, but even him, you know.
Speaker 2 (39:01):
When he was going through school, he graduated
great marks and he was told that, uh, he was throwing his life
away, and I have never seenanyone be more successful.
Speaker 1 (39:10):
Yeah, yeah, he's doing all right.
Speaker 2 (39:12):
I don't know if there's anyone in the country
that has more national medalsthan?
Speaker 1 (39:15):
Calvin Gedgell does right.
Speaker 2 (39:17):
And the success that he's had.
So I think, seeing thedifferent things that he's been
able to do too, it's reallyinteresting and I find it
fascinating and I just love it.
I love it and I'm not justsucking up to you because it's
well like.
Speaker 1 (39:31):
No, I get it, it, I love it and I'm not just sucking
up to you because it's welllike no, I get it.
Speaker 2 (39:35):
I get it because I love welders too.
Speaker 1 (39:35):
Yeah, awesome.
Well, thanks so much for beingon the show with us.
Thank you for being a part ofthe ed skills canada special and
, uh, as always, it's great tosee you great to see you.
Thank you so much for having meawesome and for all the people,
make sure you keep followingthis entire skills series.
We're going to do about, Ithink, 11 interviews between
today and tomorrow, so they'reworking, they're getting the
juice out of me, and then we gota few onlines, but this whole
(39:56):
series will be about 14interviews and you're going to
want to catch them all.
So keep downloading, sharingand liking our podcast and we
appreciated everything.
Catch you at the next one.
We hope you enjoy the show.
All right, I can check.
Check, I'm good.
So I'm Max Duran.
I'm Max Duran, I'm the CWBAssociation Welding Podcast, pod
, pod podcast.
Today we have a really coolguest welding podcast.
The show is about to begin.
Hello and welcome to anotheredition of the CWB Association
(00:27):
podcast.
This is a part of our wonderfulspecial series with Skills
Canada competitions and we areinterviewing all the executive
directors of the provinces andterritories of this country.
We're having such a good timehere in sunny, beautiful Regina,
saskatchewan, which is the hostof Skills Canada's competitions
this year.
Today I got Courtney Donovanhere, who is an old friend,
(00:49):
fantastic lady and a realcomrade bro love you.
Yeah, second time on the showhere, like within a few weeks.
I know I feel famous now likewell, you are, but you were
famous before, uh maybe just inNew Brunswick, but we're
spreading out, we're spreadingout, we're spreading out so
let's talk a little bit firstabout the team.
How many people are here fromnew brunswick?
(01:09):
How many?
How much staff?
What's what do you got going on?
Speaker 2 (01:12):
so we have 45 team members here, 42 competition
areas, which is by far the mostpeople we've ever sent.
I think the I noticed thewalkout.
You guys had a big team we dohave a big team and that's not
trainers yeah um, we actuallyonly have three trainers here
with us.
It's mostly chaperones because,again, our high school
delegation is so large.
Yeah, um, we have 25 secondarystudents here with us.
(01:35):
This year when I first started,we were bringing 10 in eight
areas.
Speaker 1 (01:39):
I remember one year there was like three.
Yeah, you know we, we.
Speaker 2 (01:42):
So we've really expanded and the growth in the
competition areas at thesecondary and post-secondary
level, um, and for me that wasreally important because these
are all areas and educationthat's obviously offered in our
province but by us notparticipating, those students in
those careers or just in thoseprograms in general didn't have
that same opportunity.
Um, so it's really important tome to kind of find them and
(02:04):
link them to the competitions.
There's still some we don'tparticipate in but we're in far
more.
Speaker 1 (02:09):
You want to fill those gaps oh.
Speaker 2 (02:11):
I am going to fill them all.
I'm you know even even the onesthat we don't even teach in the
province.
I'm like, okay, how do we getthat industry in the province?
Speaker 1 (02:19):
So I can then compete , you know Well and that's an
interesting thing that you bringup is that not all provinces
compete in all things.
I think there's a generalthought that this is skills,
here's the number, here's allthe competencies you can compete
in, and every province is goingto do it all.
But that's just not reasonable,it's not doable right.
Speaker 2 (02:39):
And it's not just that, it's again the industry.
Speaker 1 (02:46):
If the program isn't there or the industry isn't in
your province, how do you findLike shipbuilding in
Saskatchewan right, exactlyright.
Speaker 2 (02:50):
How do you make those connections?
And again, some of the highschool programs that are
competitions that we'recompeting in this year.
We don't have those programs inNew Brunswick at the high
school level, so to for us to beable to, you know, have someone
here.
Speaker 1 (03:06):
It's making sure that industry is engaged so that
those competitors can actuallytrain with industry because the
program's on their school, yeah,um now, there's been a lot of
investment in new brunswick inthe last few years and you know,
sometimes you see investmentdollars get announced in
provinces and you're like, oh,yeah, yeah, yeah.
But I feel and maybe because Ilove the maritimes and maybe
because I, because I have such agreat relationship with you, I
(03:28):
know what's going on in newbrunswick.
But there's been some definiteforward movement in new
brunswick in terms of tradesprograms, the colleges, the new
schools, the new trainingcenters.
I feel like there's just thingsblowing up all over new
brunswick yeah, yeah, I mean,there always has been.
Speaker 2 (03:44):
We are, whether it's skills or, I think, new
Brunswick as a whole.
I continually feel like we arethe best kept secret.
Yeah, you know, I have theprivilege of going into the high
schools and going into thecolleges and seeing the programs
and the passion that exists and, again, the industry that
people have no idea that arethere, and not only what those
industries supply to theprovince but the country and the
(04:06):
world.
Um, and we're so bad aboutbragging ourselves up, we're so
bad at it, max.
Just so bad at being Canadian,like, come on, brag, I know so
so that's where, again, I getreally passionate about is is
figuring these things out,because I want people to know.
Speaker 1 (04:22):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (04:22):
And I was, and we've talked a lot about this.
Um, you know the rhetoric inNew Brunswick for a very long
time and it's still a little bit.
Is that there's nothing here?
Speaker 1 (04:30):
That's right.
You got to leave to make moneyyou have to leave, and not just
money.
Speaker 2 (04:32):
you have to leave for your education.
Speaker 1 (04:34):
Right.
Speaker 2 (04:35):
And now is one of those.
New Brunswick students knowthat that's not true.
Speaker 1 (04:42):
Yeah, you can do it all right there.
Speaker 2 (04:43):
You can do it all in your home, you don't have to
leave.
This is I've been around thecountry, I've been around the
world.
This is we have it great in ourprovince and there are so many
opportunities.
So, again, making sure thateveryone knows about those
opportunities and if I can helpin any way create more
opportunities, then you knowyeah, that's you will.
Speaker 1 (05:01):
That's my dream.
Yeah, making those.
You're a connector.
Yeah, like you're, like thatawesome piece in lego that fits
everything I try, I try whetherit's again my, my sport
background other coachingbackground and and again.
Speaker 2 (05:15):
I think growing up too, I was not exposed to the
trades.
I come from a family of alltrades people.
My dad's a welder, my mom's ahairdresser, my uncle's an hvac
and you know careers and havebeen there 40, 50 years and I
wasn't exposed to any of it soeven now understanding those
careers and that none of youknow, nothing can operate
without the trades yeah we holdthe doctors on such high
(05:37):
pedestals, but they can't dotheir job without any of the
trades yeah the hospital
Speaker 1 (05:40):
wouldn't even be there no, they wouldn't even
have a scalpel to use.
Exactly.
Speaker 2 (05:44):
So I think again, I feel so fortunate that I've been
almost able to marry those twoparts of my life.
Speaker 1 (05:51):
Let's talk about that , because that's one of the
things I wanted to do with theEDs specifically is get the
backstories, you know, like theorigin stories, because everyone
gets in the skills throughdifferent ways, right?
Some through the trades, somenot right.
Speaker 2 (06:09):
So how did you end up in this?
Speaker 1 (06:11):
role, so my mother has been, of course my mother.
Speaker 2 (06:14):
She has been a hairstyling NTC since 2009,.
I think she actually, sorry,started as a judge and when she
went to a Skills Canada nationalcompetition to judge in
hairstyling new brunswick didn'thave a competitor, and at that
time she then proceeded to callthe ed and say this is who I am.
Why don't we compete?
I'm going to make us acompetition and he was like oh,
(06:36):
I don't know who this randomwoman is but sure, okay um so
really, she started um and wouldcome home and talk about it
every year, and my again, myfather and I we don't know what
you're talking about.
You leave for a week, have fun.
It is what it is.
Speaker 1 (06:52):
It's just probably like there's so many welders
there, yeah, and we're stilllike we don't really know.
Speaker 2 (06:56):
And again, this is the and I totally get it,
because skills is the strangestthing to try and explain to
someone if you've never beenhere.
Right and fully understand thegreatness of all of this, and so
, anyways, a job posting came upafter New Brunswick had been
granted hosting the 2016National, and it was just for a
(07:19):
one-year marketing position, soI applied.
Speaker 1 (07:22):
Was that your background Marketing?
Speaker 2 (07:24):
Yeah, mostly sports, sports, marketing, sports.
So I applied and was that yourbackground marketing?
Yeah, mostly sports sportsmarketing sports.
Um, that was very much mybackground with the senators and
soccer canada and then helpingstart the national basketball
league of canada and and thenmostly monkton and get the team
up and anyways applied for thejob, ended up getting it Started
in January 2016 with no realexpectation.
(07:46):
The first few months, you know,it was fine.
Speaker 1 (07:48):
What was the state of the New Brunswick skills team
at that time?
I mean?
Speaker 2 (07:53):
We were 20 people and that was the largest team we'd
ever had, and it was because itwas in New Brunswick.
Speaker 1 (07:58):
Yeah, okay.
Speaker 2 (08:00):
Still very small.
Speaker 1 (08:01):
Yeah, compared to some of these.
And what about staff wise?
Staff still very small, yeah.
And what about staff-wise?
Speaker 2 (08:04):
Staff.
It had been one person since1998.
I was the second ever staffagain starting in 2016.
Yeah wow, and I had noexpectation.
I again did not know what thisworld was.
Our provincial competitionswere one or two at a time on
weekends.
No one came.
There was no.
I say say hoopla or anyexcitement and and definitely no
(08:28):
one paying attention.
Yeah, um, and then you know, wewe build up to the national
that year and all this setup andit was just the setup phase max
and I running around like acrazy person and looking at
somebody from alberta saying isamazing, why don't we do this
provincially?
Speaker 1 (08:46):
And he looks at me.
Speaker 2 (08:47):
He goes literally everyone else does.
Speaker 1 (08:49):
Yeah, all the time.
Speaker 2 (08:51):
Okay, so I'm really late to the game, but once we
you know we're in that firstnational and again, I knew
before we got through the setupphase that I was never going to
and I stayed in that role untilum november of 2019 and then I
moved into the executivedirector role um, and now we are
a team of five members and twocontract positions.
(09:12):
You know, full board.
That is extremely active um.
Speaker 1 (09:16):
It is representative of education, but also heavily
um industry and all industry so,in the six years you've been
with it, what have been some ofthe biggest success stories you
can see in your, in your, inyour tenure?
Speaker 2 (09:30):
Um the growth and just people knowing right, the
more the team grows, that's moreyouth I get to impact.
Our provincials are bigger.
We we went from having theseprovincial competitions that no
one attended to, none of thelargest in Canada.
Thereada, there are two day.
There's conferences again.
You guys came this year.
Um, there's thousands of kidsthat get to walk through see the
(09:51):
competition, plus all thosestudents that now have that
platform provincially that wedid not have for, you know, 20
plus years for the kids to seethe opportunity that they may
not even know existed right andteachers and parents, like even
the amount of parents we havehere this year.
We've never had that yeah so theinterest is starting, and and
(10:12):
again.
Not that we're late to the game, but we're catching up.
Um so so, growing the team initself, I say was is a big piece
yeah because and I wantstudents here, yeah, um, but
programming, we didn't doprogramming before you, you know
so even introducingmanufacturing into the schools.
Speaker 1 (10:28):
That has been an incredible thing for us to do Um
starting.
It's so needed out there, soneeded.
Speaker 2 (10:34):
Um, and even you know a lot of the in-school programs
specifically for young girls,bringing in, you know, all the
nines and tens and introducingthem to you know shop, not only
in their school but making sureit's linked to careers, and
bringing in industry in theirspecific area.
Yeah, um, so again reallyhelping to make that change what
about the sponsors?
Speaker 1 (10:56):
you know, because that's something that I see lots
with with lots of the differentprovinces.
Some provinces one or twosponsors and you go to another
province they got 100 sponsorsand that's a big part, because
there is limited funding, thereis limited resources and getting
that sponsor network is huge tobe able to grow.
How's that changed in your sixyears?
so we had none when I startedzero is not a good number, so I
(11:19):
I kid like this is so, um, whenI first started our uh, all of
our funding came from thefederal government.
Speaker 2 (11:26):
So when I again first started, my position was the
first bigger or largerinvestment from our provincial
government, which again hascontinued to grow.
Skilltree is New Brunswick andNew Brunswick is fabulous.
We love working with them.
But then the industry.
It was again important to me.
What are we training thesepeople for?
So, the more we engage themagain, it's, it's to offer that
(11:48):
direct connection.
But they also then want tosupport us, right, because they
see the good work we're doing.
Yeah, um, and we have a lot ofpartners now you know we've
started even a bit of a tour innew brunswick we've got some
stuff going on, so um Well, thenthe kids are connected.
Speaker 1 (12:03):
They are and, like these sponsors and supporters,
they're basically investing intotheir own workforce.
Speaker 2 (12:11):
Yes.
Speaker 1 (12:11):
Like I mean they're going to poach all the best kids
, 100%.
Speaker 2 (12:13):
Yes, and that's what we want, and that's good.
Yeah, that's exactly what youwant, like, come to the
competitions, come for your, youknow.
Speaker 1 (12:20):
You always want to be taken in the draft.
Speaker 2 (12:22):
Always.
Speaker 1 (12:22):
Always, doesn't matter who at the end of the day
and again.
Speaker 2 (12:25):
That's really important for me to make sure
those partners are there andengaged, because I want them to
have the best Right.
I don't especially oursecondary students that are so
engaged.
I want them to make thoseconnections before they, you
know, think they have to gosomewhere else because there
isn't a, you know, a future forthem in the trades.
I want them to find a job here,right I, I want them to
(12:46):
naturally have those connectionsand and be oh it's you know
easier to go to university andget a business degree.
Well, why didn't we continue onthat welding path right?
So I think even and we have, Iwant to say, at least 50
partners, down in new brunswickat least I.
I don't even want to startdating them because I will
forget, but it's that mutuallybeneficial for both sides.
(13:07):
That's so again, like you, said, and a worthy investment.
I tend to be a bit of aconnector, whether I mean to or
not, but it's just so importantfor me because, again, the more
we can do that then we're notlosing people through the gaps,
or whether we're talking aboutduplication or wasted funds,
it's or wasted funds.
Speaker 1 (13:25):
It's how do we build all the team bigger um again,
whether it's partners or, yeah,actual kids.
So on our last podcast wetalked a little bit about how
you know, we went to kazantogether.
We were in russia.
I love that you shared thatpicture.
That was a beautiful picture itwas.
I completely forgot we took that, but uh, it was a good find but
now, like you know, in your ed,in your ed chair you you've
been to a world right.
Even I don't think newbrunswick had anyone attend that
world's that you're doingautomotive service.
(13:46):
It was our first and only evercompetitor so far in automotive
service so so you know, you goout there with one, one person,
with team canada, to anothercountry to compete at the world,
and I mean our nationals.
No joke, it's big, it's awesome, like this is huge here, but
worlds I kazan was 78 hectares.
Speaker 2 (14:06):
Yeah, if I recall it was.
Speaker 1 (14:08):
They actually built new buildings just for that like
it's olympic level it's olympiclevel and abu dhabi in 2017 was
the same thing so how do youbring that experience back now?
You weren't ed at that time.
Right now you are.
How do you bring thatexperience back into this realm
to help, either you know asupport your, your province, and
(14:31):
be like you can get to thislevel, or be, you know, be more
proactive on us attending orbeing or hosting that stuff so
there's a theme with me again alittle little bit of a
connection.
Speaker 2 (14:44):
You know, this competition actually is probably
the first time we've had peoplepurposely trained trying to
make Team Canada.
Speaker 1 (14:50):
Good, good, and you have to.
To get to that level, you haveto.
Speaker 2 (14:55):
But again, it's through the partnerships.
It's through the UA213.
It's through JTC, it's throughour New Brunswick Building
Trades Unions and again throughSkilled, through our New
Brunswick building trades unionsand again through skilled
trades, new Brunswick, that weare able to support these people
and and that's what I want tocontinue to grow Right and
because, again, it's thatopportunity not only for that
student who's trying to getthese accolades and reach that
(15:18):
level, but then everyone gets towin.
Speaker 1 (15:21):
Yeah, Everyone gets comes up like Everyone A rising
tide raises all ships.
Speaker 2 (15:25):
Yes, His community, his high school.
That is a win that everyone isgoing to get celebrate.
So that's been really importantto me again to get that
messaging out there, or just noteven messaging, just
understanding of what theopportunity really is.
You know, we throw money atathletes and don't even think
twice about it.
Speaker 1 (15:43):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (15:44):
And and we need sport .
That's not where I'm going withthis you know, but when again
the pandemic happened.
Speaker 1 (15:49):
Entertainment sport the world stopped, except for
the trade except for the trade.
Speaker 2 (15:54):
So, again, we need these people to to be excelling,
we need them to ourinfrastructure, just the safety
of the world.
So, again, to be able to givethem this platform and then
bring those partners in thatwouldn't typically get an
opportunity to do this yeahthat's so important to me that's
awesome.
Speaker 1 (16:12):
Now, yourself, you know when you look at the path
that you had to get into this.
You come from a sportsbackground.
You do a little bit of workwith skills.
You get, like I said earlier,you dip your finger into the
pool.
Next thing you know you'reswimming because it just draws
you in.
Now, what skills have youlearned?
What has skills taught youabout you know your own personal
(16:33):
development so much yeah Istopped.
I've been stopping people onthis question, yeah um one.
Speaker 2 (16:41):
I didn't know that I wanted to work with youth this
much yeah, you know I.
I had a high school.
My high school principalactually told me one day he goes
, you're gonna be a teacher.
Speaker 1 (16:49):
I said absolutely yeah, you're like oh, gross
absolutely not.
Speaker 2 (16:52):
I can see me coaching , but I will never be a teacher
yeah um, but doing this type ofwork I get to have that.
I don't want to say same effect,because teachers do yeah so
much um, but I get a glimpse ofit you have a, you have a
connection there, yeah, yeah andand helping people is just so
important to me and I again thisjob, as we talked about a
(17:13):
little bit before and I will not, but it has been a crazy seven
days leading up, like insane,probably the last almost 10
years.
The last seven days threw mefor a loop, but again you're
going for the kids.
Speaker 1 (17:26):
Well, and it's honing your skills.
You're an executive director.
This is a skill set, right yeah?
Speaker 2 (17:31):
You know, being adaptable, because that's all
this is At the end of the day.
The only thing that reallymatters to me is those
competitors, experience, or justyouth having an experience at
one of our events and thevolunteers and the NTCs and PTCs
.
Speaker 1 (17:45):
You want them all to have a good time.
Speaker 2 (17:46):
Everyone, right because this is again even those
people.
They're typically in the backof shops and they're so
passionate about their trade ortechnology area but they still
don't get that same opportunity.
And to see those volunteersjust get so excited to support
the future generation andstudents and you get to be.
You know, isn't EV a small partof?
Speaker 1 (18:07):
organizing any of that.
You see those organicconnections happen where it's,
you know, the 18-year-old andthe 50-year-old and they would
have never run into each otherjust in random.
But then you see themconnecting and imbuing that like
I mean the kids given the olderperson energy and life again,
and the older person's givingback experience and and, and you
(18:27):
know, and mentorship.
That's a beautiful thing towitness yes, like again I.
Speaker 2 (18:32):
If I start telling you too, too many of the
messages the kids have beensending the last couple days, I
will definitely cry, because I'ma crier, but it, oh my god, you
probably get me at some pointthis week, but it's again when
you're getting messages frompeople and you're just trying to
do your job and then you get amessage from a student that just
tells you that you've changedtheir whole life again, I
(18:52):
probably will cry you've changedtheir whole life trajectory.
Speaker 1 (18:55):
Yeah, just you being you, yeah it's uh, yeah, it's
impactful.
Speaker 2 (19:01):
It's been again, again I doesn't that invigorate
you?
Speaker 1 (19:05):
doesn't that fill your cup?
Speaker 2 (19:05):
yeah and I don't know how I could ever leave.
People are always like what'syour next step?
I'm like what do you mean likehere?
What am I like?
What projects am I working onnext?
Because I'm not leaving umsorry guys succession plan.
Yeah like no, I'm here, likeour again, our old president,
john oats, in russia.
(19:26):
I did an interview with him andhe told me then he goes skills
is like mafia once you're in,you're in yeah you might leave
for a bit, but you you'll comeback to the familia phone is
always on and you there wouldwill be a time you get that call
and it's so funny because againour welder on the yeah um, he
is trying to make team canadaright now and I saw him this
morning and his, his trainer ishere, and his trainer is an
(19:51):
alumni who's also a national uhmedalist, who you interviewed
when you were in new brunswickyeah and I said to evan
yesterday on the bus.
I said did you, did you everreally think you'd be back?
He goes, absolutely not.
Speaker 1 (20:02):
But he goes.
It's the best thing ever.
You silly duck, we knew you'dbe back.
Speaker 2 (20:05):
Yeah, come on now, especially your UA.
Speaker 1 (20:07):
Come on, you were coming back.
Speaker 2 (20:10):
You're too in there, whether you realize it or not.
But yeah, just being any smallpart of that, it even any small
part of that, it's just again,it's, it's shocking that it gets
to be.
Speaker 1 (20:23):
And this world is not for everyone, don't get me
wrong.
Yeah, it is a little crazy.
Speaker 2 (20:25):
It's kind of crazy and hectic it is yeah it is, but
if you are one of those peoplethat this is for you, what you
get out of this week just makesall the chaos completely worth
it I don't understand.
Speaker 1 (20:38):
Maybe I just don't get it because I'm I'm simple,
but how can someone come to anational skills event and not
come out of these three daysjust invigorated with energy?
You know like I tell people allthe time, like as a trades
person.
Even the welders I just runinto, like some manufacturing
shop, they're happy with theirwelding job.
(20:59):
They're not thinking bigpicture, they're already done.
But I say to them still if atsome point in your life you have
the opportunity to attend anational skills competition, do
it it'll.
It'll even give you pride inyour own trade that you didn't
even know you had right, no, andhonestly, my dad?
Speaker 2 (21:16):
he was a welder at the same shop for almost 30
years and then he's beenteaching the welding technology
engineering program at acommunity college in New
Brunswick for almost 20 yearsnow.
And I don't think he understoodhis I don't want to say worth,
but the career you know he evenhad that stigma about his own
(21:37):
trade.
Yeah, I struggled with that too.
Speaker 1 (21:38):
Until I started in this job, I called myself just a
weld stigma about his own trade.
Yeah, I struggled with that too.
Until I started in this job, Icalled myself just a welder for
a long time.
Speaker 2 (21:43):
Yeah, and you know.
So when I first started, I'mbecause I really took an
interest.
I went through all the shops,all the programs at all the
community colleges.
Take me through.
I want to understand.
I used to have really longstiletto nails and I would do
electrical, I would takeelectrical lessons, I would do
masonry car painting.
Because again I really want toknow and again I remember going
(22:04):
through a shop and he'sexplaining to me and why did you
send me to university?
I would have loved this programand you know I'll never forget
the look on his face and it's um.
But even that I think I've beenable to help him because I
value the career so much and andyou know the stigma that a lot
of the generations have, youknow don't yeah.
Speaker 1 (22:27):
Do you feel that stigma is breaking down?
Do you think it's gettingbetter?
Speaker 2 (22:31):
I do like we're talking new brunswick I do
because, first of all, I don'tthink people have a choice you
know where he work is work.
Speaker 1 (22:38):
You need to work well , not just that.
Speaker 2 (22:39):
I mean all.
All over the country and reallyin New Brunswick, we're hearing
about shortages whether it'slabor shortages, whether it's
construction and the housingshortage, but even you know, as
important as construction iswhen we're talking about that
and massive shortages, well, westill need to make sure we're
taking care of manufacturing andtransportation, because
construction can't do their jobalso without those industries.
So that's all really importantto me and it's just continuing
(23:03):
to go at it and again, the morewe have these shortages and talk
about them, whether you want tobelieve there's a stigma or not
, or that these jobs you know,jobs are still there, yeah.
But it's also kind of uphold.
Well, yeah because it's keepingyou know things from moving on
and people are seeing that rightand you know it's hard to not
value a job that, when you needa house, built you need some
(23:25):
work done and you can't findanyone.
Speaker 1 (23:27):
Yeah, and you want your kids, even as a parent, to
have a good job that has pensionand benefits and they're
secured.
You don't want them out likethe big, the big it of the 80s
and 90s.
When I was coming up, everyonehad to go into computer science.
That was the future.
Meanwhile, 90 of my friendsthat went into computer science
have never worked in computerscience because, a the jobs paid
(23:47):
garbage and b they weren't thatmany.
It was like a false narrative,right no, and anyways it's.
Speaker 2 (23:56):
I don't know where I was going, sorry I lost my train
of thought that's, uh, that'sthe adhd kicking in there.
But, uh, no, I I agree andagain, any part that I can have
and just helping, just educatepeople right, like we have a.
We have a mom here.
I don't want to out her too bad, but she, uh, she actually
works for one of these schooldistricts in the province and so
(24:16):
her son's here competing, soshe decided to, you know, come
along high school student andshe goes.
He's a really smart student andwhen she he told me he wanted to
go to a community college andtake this, she goes.
As a mom, my heart was broke noyou know just that automatic oh
, you're settling or somethingright, and then she goes, and
then I come here and see allthis and she goes.
(24:37):
Now I can't wait for his futureyeah so again to see it even in
real time yeah, and and nowthat is again.
Somebody that works at adistrict in the province of new
brunswick is gonna go back, youknow, has this completely new
view.
Speaker 1 (24:52):
Those people talk you know and spread the word.
Speaker 2 (24:55):
They do and and it's, it's important it's.
Speaker 1 (24:58):
It's really important .
What's some of the obstaclesyou've had to face.
You know, coming into this edrole like small team, no
sponsors, limited budget, like Imean, what, what?
What?
Were a couple things on yourlist right away, like I gotta
fix it best kept secret.
No one knew we were there yeahno one knew just like marketing,
(25:19):
really, you know marketing.
Speaker 2 (25:20):
No one knew we existed um provincially,
nationally, internationally.
The thought prior to mestarting was we're not going to
tell kids, you know even the fewpresentations that we would do
in school.
We're not going to tell kidsabout world skills because we
never make it where when I camein, it's well.
Maybe we're not making itbecause they don't know they can
(25:41):
yeah, like I mean you gotta setthe bar right, yeah um, so a
lot of that and again, havingthat marketing background, um,
and our office had been infredericton, which is, you know,
our province's capital, and wewere in a government building.
Um, we, were kind of not evenin sight, not in sight, and so
the first thing I did was putour office directly in one of
(26:02):
the bigger community colleges inthe province yeah um.
So you know is that mbcc?
Moncton, it is mbcc yeah, andwe're, and we're still there um
and I love that college.
It's all the guys there too yeah, and and again, whether it's
mbcc, ccmb, they have both beenso supportive in this um.
We work so much with ourcolleges.
We couldn't have moved to thebig model without their support
(26:25):
in the slightest.
But yeah, it just takeseveryone, and being able to pull
all those pieces together andalmost help them realize what
they have and how good they are.
Speaker 1 (26:38):
I love it Now with your 42 competitors, that you
have here 45.
45 competitors 42 areas.
Okay, 45 competitors, 42 areas.
Is anybody here on a world'srip Like, is anyone doing a
second time?
Is anyone on a gold?
I mean they're all goldsprovincially.
Speaker 2 (26:54):
So again, josh Richard, our welder,
post-secondary welder, ua 213,he has his site set and again
he's in the partners.
We would not, he would not havebeen able to have the training
he has had without their support.
That has been huge.
(27:14):
So he's here trying.
Our robotics team has let meknow that they are actually
trying.
Speaker 1 (27:20):
They're in the running, which, again, I was not
expecting.
Speaker 2 (27:22):
They are a secondary team.
They're two high schoolstudents.
I would never put any pressure,but I like to hear it.
Speaker 1 (27:28):
I like to hear it Go for it.
Speaker 2 (27:29):
But that's also as we grow and as people in the
province know.
The provincial competitions arenow getting more competitive.
Speaker 1 (27:36):
Yeah, which then keeps creeping up.
Exactly.
Speaker 2 (27:39):
So our national team, naturally, is getting a little
bit more competitive, and whilewe only brought home three
medals last year, I think we hadand if I'm remembering
correctly we had at least 10others that were just within
points of either.
Speaker 1 (27:52):
And the points are tight, so tight.
So tight, like the littlesterror and there's 11 people tied
for fifth Right, Right, andyou're like oh man.
Speaker 2 (28:03):
So we have.
I say those two that I knowspecifically are trying Everyone
else.
If they do, they haven't maybe.
Speaker 1 (28:10):
That'd be great, but it's an experience, exactly, but
.
Speaker 2 (28:12):
I will everyone else if they do.
They, you know, haven't that'dbe great, but it's an experience
exactly.
Um.
But I will say we have a uh,alice, our car painter.
She won a gold medal her firstskills national competition.
She came back last year, didn'tplace oh, wow so she is back
with a vengeance to say theleast, um alice is.
Is you know here to take names?
So I say keep an eye on her.
(28:34):
Yeah and um, who else?
But yeah, like we uh.
Speaker 1 (28:38):
William taylor, he's here in carpentry his second
time you know, last year onetime like as as in my experience
, if you can get that two runperson, it makes such a
difference because they knowwhat they're getting into yes,
and and just the, the nerves,and again, just man.
I talked to those welders thismorning there I said to one of
(29:00):
the, the ntcs there I'm like youcan smell the fear in this room
, like I'm not gonna say that tothem.
But oh man, their eyes all looklike little caged ears.
You know, it's like I had.
Speaker 2 (29:10):
I told them all like relax, I take a breath, drink
some water and even like this isum the first year, we're
competing in a bunch of it areas, oh fun so it was so funny,
funny, not funny.
Back when skills was gettingset up in new brunswick, our
premier at the time, uh, wasactually pulling shops out of
high schools because we weregoing to happening here in
sketch right now we were thatgoing to be a tech province, um,
(29:33):
so that took a lot ofturnaround, but again, the funny
part is we never competed inweird.
Speaker 1 (29:39):
How'd that work?
Speaker 2 (29:40):
we never did so this year we again.
I think we have at least eightcompetitors who are competing in
tech areas, all brand new to us.
We're competing in car paintingand auto body at the high
school level.
Those programs aren't evenoffered in schools right In.
Speaker 1 (29:56):
New Brunswick, that's wild Again.
Speaker 2 (29:58):
Industry partnerships , yeah that's amazing Because,
again for them, if they canstart working with these
students earlier and trainingthem, it's better for everyone
too, if the interest is thereright.
So again, it's making thatconnection.
It's just again finding apassion for all this that.
I had no idea I would ever havein this lightest.
Again, it was very much goingto be a one-year contract for me
(30:20):
.
Speaker 1 (30:22):
What would you have done?
Speaker 2 (30:23):
Probably go back to sports.
Speaker 1 (30:25):
Yeah, yeah, I would imagine Did you get this rush of
love and energy in the sportsworld?
Were you feeling it?
Because of love and energy inthe sports world where you feel
in it, because I mean that'salso very desirable fun jobs and
you're working with youngpeople in careers.
Speaker 2 (30:43):
Yeah, I mean I, I loved it, don't get me wrong.
Speaker 1 (30:44):
Yeah but is?
But do you got this?
Yeah, you got 200 kids walkingby is amazing yeah, you know,
this is, this is everything yeahand it just it doesn't compare.
Speaker 2 (30:54):
It doesn't compare.
And again, bringing the teamhere, even just our team that we
have here, one thing we didn'ttalk about we had at least 10
kids in our team who had neverbeen on a flight before.
Speaker 1 (31:02):
Oh my God, how did that go All good.
I mean, we got here A coupleout of hands.
Speaker 2 (31:08):
No, but that's the thing, even just giving that
experience right, it's justoutside the border.
Break those barriers, yeah, andthen you see a bunch of
students who didn't know eachother and then you know we're
one, one half day in and they'reall bonding and making that
team and just that in itself,especially like every team here
wants every single one of theircompetitors on the podium
because they're just fabulous.
(31:29):
Yeah, they're all fabulous,yeah um, but no that being able
again to create any of that forthese students is just the best
thing in the world.
Like I, I truly feel blessedthat I get to do this, even on
the, even on the hard days evenon the hard, even on the hard
days.
Speaker 1 (31:46):
Now, what about?
You know, like your wish list,because I'm sure you got some
things you want to do and yougot projects in mind.
What do you got on the wishlist coming up next?
Speaker 2 (31:57):
I got some stuff I want to do, you know.
Speaker 1 (32:00):
Top secret?
Apparently no, no.
Speaker 2 (32:03):
Again, background in sports Not too top secret.
I still want to train more.
And training is important to me, not just provincially but
nationally.
Speaker 1 (32:13):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (32:14):
Interprovincial training, bringing more
opportunity to our competitors.
Speaker 1 (32:17):
The US does so much of that with their competitors.
Speaker 2 (32:21):
So I guess next project is how I create more of
that for New Brunswick.
Right, we are the onlybilingual province.
Speaker 1 (32:28):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (32:29):
That is our superpower.
We don't always use it as oursuperpower you can go anywhere
you can and, and even on thatnote, because we're the only
bilingual province, it makes iteasier for the rest of the
country to come to us yeah um soagain.
Speaker 1 (32:42):
Projects in the works on how I would love to see how
you do that, because when, whenwe went to skills with adam, we
sent them to competitions in theus.
Send them to competitions inother provinces, because you
need to start doing that, likeyou can't just sit in your in
your booth and think that that'senough to win, no right and,
and even on a winning scale,just again the opportunity you
(33:04):
know, if, if we all startprovincially start doing that,
what does that then do for ourindustry?
Speaker 2 (33:09):
what does?
That then do for mobility?
Speaker 1 (33:11):
yeah, um, and confidence of the kids to know
that they can handle it anywhere.
Speaker 2 (33:15):
Yeah, um and again.
So next project is is how I domore of that new brunswick, how
I create more opportunity notonly for our students in our
province, but create moreopportunity for everyone in the
country to come to new brunswickand you get a little bit of
that.
Speaker 1 (33:33):
Do you want to show off that province so bad?
Speaker 2 (33:34):
Oh I love it, I just love it.
Again, I don't know.
I love it, but it's also again,I think, because for my whole
childhood that rhetoric I heard.
And now this is, I feel, likemy service to everyone else, to
you know, get the message out.
Speaker 1 (33:51):
I feel you feel like my service to everyone else, to
you know, get the message out.
Speaker 2 (33:55):
I feel, yeah, I'm in saskatchewan, right, and
saskatchewan honestly gets badmouth quite a bit, I know,
across canada I was gonna say Ifeel like we're like opposite
ends, but there's a lot of thesame, not, you know, messaging
or just ugly speak right.
Speaker 1 (34:05):
Yeah, but now, literally in the last three days
, all these people coming hereand seeing the city and the
facilities, all I've heardpeople say is like I had no idea
regina was so pretty.
I had no, I had no idea reginawas so green, had so much the
beautiful lake downtown, thebeautiful downtown area, this
amazing facility.
I'm like, yeah, I've beentrying to tell you guys that
it's awesome here for a longtime.
(34:25):
Yeah, yeah, well on that note.
Speaker 2 (34:28):
Uh, funny, but not funny because the math is not
mathing, because in my head I'mstill only 25.
But my first time here was 20years ago for canada games wow,
for the summer games, summergames yeah, um, I was on new
brunswick basketball team andour canada games was in regina
and I remember coming here yearsago.
Speaker 1 (34:47):
Yeah, again in my head.
Speaker 2 (34:48):
I'm only so the math ain't mathing, but I remember
the same thing Our team, we were, you know, oh, this Canada
Games was here.
Speaker 1 (34:57):
Why do we have to go to Regina?
Speaker 2 (35:00):
And we came here and everyone had an excellent time.
Like you said, it is abeautiful city and not somewhere
that you know many people mightjust travel to or vacation to
Right.
So it's a really neat way forpeople to come here and again.
Now they might come back onvacation come visit you.
Speaker 1 (35:16):
That was gonna be my last question.
What's your experience withthis skill so far?
How are you finding this venue,the organization, how's it been
going so far?
Speaker 2 (35:24):
It's great.
I mean it's just gettingstarted, but it's great.
I love the venue.
It is massive, huge yeah, everytime my board member is like we
need to bring this back to NewBrunswick.
I'm like, again, we don't haveanything, we're just happy to
build it with you.
Speaker 1 (35:39):
Yeah, I will gladly, and you don't want to have the
rain.
Apocalypse of Halifax.
Speaker 2 (35:43):
Right, right, like I'm more than happy and I don't
think people realize Right Againwhen I'm saying they have three
hundred and eighty thousandsquare foot of just competition
space.
I know Insane, that's insane.
Speaker 1 (36:01):
Insane.
Speaker 2 (36:02):
And it's, it's, it's.
This competition is not goingto stop growing.
Speaker 1 (36:06):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (36:07):
If anything.
Oh, I know my team's just goingto keep growing.
Like I, until we can, newBrunswick is in every single
category.
I am not going to stop, um, butit's just going to keep growing
.
And again, the need is there.
The one is there, whether we'retalking about the shortage and
industry needing to come herebecause they need to recruit and
get these people, or whetherit's the students coming to
visit because, again, that'ssome of that stigma is being
(36:28):
relieved and people moreinterested in in learning about
the education and the careers.
Um, this isn't going to stopgrowing.
Like I can't wait to see wherethis is in another 10 years.
Speaker 1 (36:39):
Yeah, I'm very interested too to see you know
at what level do we take it to,especially since Canada is
growing and is strengthening andyou know the the countries that
we normally competed againstthat were always stronger and
bigger, are not as big or asstrong.
It's like we're catching up,Right.
So it's like you guys all watchout, we're coming, we're coming
(36:59):
, yeah.
Speaker 2 (37:00):
And again, that's even, I feel that provincially
Right.
Speaker 1 (37:03):
Yeah, we're coming.
Speaker 2 (37:04):
Yeah, we are coming.
Speaker 1 (37:06):
Yeah, so watch out.
Speaker 2 (37:07):
Yeah, once we again start, once everyone knows that
this is an opportunity, andespecially that international is
an opportunity.
We will not be making TeamCanada by accident anymore.
Speaker 1 (37:18):
I can tell you that Awesome Last question yeah, For
any of these competitors thatare coming to people listening
that are just learning aboutskills, thinking about getting
into skills, what's a piece ofadvice that you would give a
young competitor that wants toget into skills?
Speaker 2 (37:31):
Do it, don't think twice about it, don't hesitate,
doesn't matter what area, justdo it.
I again, I've gone to I don'tknow how many national
basketball tournaments.
I did the canada game, saying Idid the university basketball.
It was great, don't get mewrong.
But if I get to be 16 again, Iwould purely just be playing
sports at school and this wouldbe everything.
What, what trade?
Speaker 1 (37:52):
would you be?
Oh my god oh my god, what trade.
What would you like you knowingwhat you know now?
What would you do?
Speaker 2 (38:00):
it'd be a hard toss-up between welding or
millwright you love welders somuch.
Speaker 1 (38:06):
Is it because of your dad?
Speaker 2 (38:08):
no, I just love what so we're just the best.
Probably shouldn't say this,but especially during covid um,
when again work was a little bitslower.
Everything I was in the shoplot.
I generally wanted to learn howto weld yeah um, so I do well
you are pretty good we have awelder at home.
Yeah, I joke often.
I'm like if I ever get sick ofthis, you guys will see me on
(38:29):
the competition floor like, yeah, if it ever happens.
Speaker 1 (38:32):
I mean you are a little over 25 now, that's okay.
Speaker 2 (38:34):
I mean I don't have to make it to worlds I can just
do provincials and nationals, uh, but no, like I, I probably
would.
I just I love it and I thinkit's the diversity of both the
trades to be honest and um, Ithink you guys interviewed
calvin getchell when you were innew brunswick and he has a red
seal in both of them.
Speaker 1 (38:51):
He's a national medalist in both of them yeah,
and I think too, and his accentis adorable little saint stephen
boy, little saint stephen boy,uh, but even him, you know.
Speaker 2 (39:01):
When he was going through school, he graduated
great marks and he was told that, uh, he was throwing his life
away, and I have never seenanyone be more successful.
Speaker 1 (39:10):
Yeah, yeah, he's doing all right.
Speaker 2 (39:12):
I don't know if there's anyone in the country
that has more national medalsthan?
Speaker 1 (39:15):
Calvin Gedgell does right.
Speaker 2 (39:17):
And the success that he's had.
So I think, seeing thedifferent things that he's been
able to do too, it's reallyinteresting and I find it
fascinating and I just love it.
I love it and I'm not justsucking up to you because it's
well like.
Speaker 1 (39:31):
No, I get it, it, I love it and I'm not just sucking
up to you because it's welllike no, I get it.
Speaker 2 (39:35):
I get it because I love welders too.
Speaker 1 (39:35):
Yeah, awesome.
Well, thanks so much for beingon the show with us.
Thank you for being a part ofthe ed skills canada special and
, uh, as always, it's great tosee you great to see you.
Thank you so much for having meawesome and for all the people,
make sure you keep followingthis entire skills series.
We're going to do about, Ithink, 11 interviews between
today and tomorrow, so they'reworking, they're getting the
juice out of me, and then we gota few onlines, but this whole
(39:56):
series will be about 14interviews and you're going to
want to catch them all.
So keep downloading, sharingand liking our podcast and we
appreciated everything.
Catch you at the next one.
We hope you enjoy the show.
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