Students from across the Okanagan took over Okanagan College’s Kelowna campus on Feb. 20 for the Skills Canada BC Central Okanagan Regional Competition.
Hundreds of youth proved their skills at sumo bots, welding, cooking, automotive services, carpentry and more in hopes of advancing to provincials taking place April 15 in Abbotsford.
Some future leaders in tech and trades were in #kelowna for the Skills Canada BC regional competition @OkanaganCollege @KelownaCapNews pic.twitter.com/AOQvdctIO1
— Brittany Webster (@thebrittwebster) February 20, 2026
Mielle Tetreau, a Grade 8 student at Kelowna’s Canyon Falls Middle School, competed in junior carpentry and was the only female in her group.
“It’s kind of really honouring,” Tetreau said she found an interest in the trade through a school enrichment program and a teacher suggested she compete. “I feel really happy to be included in this.”
Skills Canada BC Board Member and Okanagan College’s Dean of Trades Caitlin Hartigan is proud of the program and excited to be part of fostering the next generation of women in trades.
“It’s important for confidence building, especially for young girls,” Hartigan said about hands-on training and engaging in programs like Skills Canada. “It’s important to understand how things are made and to understand that there’s different careers than the professions that we all know and think of… You understand that you can do it.”
Find more details about the competition at skillscanada.bc.ca.