The 19th annual Skills BC Provincial Competition returns to Tradex in Abbotsford on Wednesday, April 17.
The event features more than 400 participants competing in 40 contest areas, such as woodworking, culinary arts, fashion technology, welding, hairdressing, electronics and computer animation.
These students previously won gold medals at the regional level and now have a chance to advance to the national and/or world competitions.
Eight Abbotsford students advanced from the regional level to the provincials: Elijah Baluyan and Karmyn Chretien in 2D animation, Patty Chomseng and Conor Nolan in 3D animation, Davejot Sidhu in architectural CAD, David Lawton in automotive service technician, Amie Peters in culinary, and Casey Lenning in electrical wiring.
The purpose of the programs is to celebrate and reward students for excellence in their mastery of trade and technology skills.
High school and post-secondary students compete for a chance to advance to the nationals, while younger students take part in "junior" events, including the GearBots Challenge, Gravity Vehicles and Mini-Sumo Robot.
The event runs all day, with the first competition starting at 8 a.m.
In conjunction with the provincial Skills Competition, the Skilled Trades for Women Conference runs at Tradex from 9:30 a.m. to noon.
The event, open to girls in Grades 9 to 12, provides mentoring, career exploration and networking.
Tradex is located at 1190 Cornell St., adjacent to the Abbotsford International Airport.