A pair of Parkland College students welded their way to the top spots in a provincial skills competition in Saskatoon on April 12.
Lukas Muir and Cody Wlasichuk, both of Yorkton, brought home the gold and silver medals, respectively, in the Skills Canada Saskatchewan Welding competition. The contest required competitors to demonstrate their knowledge in reading plans and interpreting welding symbols, and their mastery of the main welding processes used in today’s industry.
“It was a really fun time being there and coming home with two medals for Yorkton,” said Wlasichuk. “You felt the stress (of the competition). But as soon as you locked your focus in, you were ready to give ‘er.”
The students were quick to praise their instructor, Blaine Miller.
“We trained a lot and trained very hard,” Muir said. “We couldn’t have done it without Blaine. He taught us a lot and showed us everything we needed to know.”
Miller said the students’ success is a reflection of their dedication and commitment to the craft.
“We always want to be in a competition just to see how other people are training and what their welds are like,” Miller said. “But when you can place in the competition, it’s just a bonus.”
As a gold medal winner, Muir will represent Saskatchewan at the Skills Canada National Competition May 28-29 in Halifax, N.S. He will be required to complete three projects within a set time limit over the two days.
He started training on Monday for the competition, which Miller calls an extremely challenging one.
“In the workforce, welders specialize in these types of welds, which include pressure welding with TIG, SMAW (shielded metal arc welding), and GMAW (gas metal arc welding),” Miller said. “The type of material that will be used will range from mild steel to stainless steel and aluminum.”
“I’ve got a lot of work to put in,” Muir said. “But I think by the end of it, I’ll be confident and do well.”
