Carter Kokot enjoys figuring out what’s wrong with a car. This month, the Calgary apprentice will put that problem solving to the test against competitors from around the world. “I love the problem solving. Like, every day’s new, every car’s new, every problem’s new,” Kokot said. “It’s like it’s a challenge every time.” The 22-year-old, who works at Lexus Royal Oak, will represent Canada in automobile technology at WorldSkills in Shanghai, China. “It’s an honor to represent Canada, and I think to have come this far and this to be in this level of competition is pretty exciting,” he said. Kokot is one of five competitors from SAIT heading to the event. The school has more competitors on Team Canada than any other Canadian education institution. The event runs Sept. 22 to 27, with four days of competition from Sept. 23 to 26, according to the WorldSkills Shanghai website. For Kokot, a fourth-year apprentice, the interest in cars began early in life. “I got into it because I enjoyed working on cars in the garage with my dad, so it seemed like the route to go down for a career path.” His father also encouraged him to try skills competitions. Now, four years of competing have taken him through provincial and national events. A win at the Canadian World Skills competition in Regina, Sask., last year earned him the opportunity to represent Canada. “I’ve never just breezed through a competition,” he said. “It’s never felt like it was a walk in the park.” The competition breaks automotive work into stations, where participants diagnose faults or complete tasks involving different vehicle systems. Even finding the right tool can take some adjustment. That’s because in order to keep ever competitor on equal footing, competitors use identical equipment sets supplied by organizers. That means working from an unfamiliar toolbox. “It takes a while. I rifle through every toolbox or every drawer in the toolbox first,” Kokot said. “Then every time I need something, I go back and I’m looking through every drawer again, trying to find where it went – so that can be a challenge too. That’s part of the game.” Skills Canada says competitors face simulated workplace challenges and are judged against international quality standards. The event brings together competitors from more than 70 member countries and regions. Kokot’s trainer, SAIT instructor Harley Breadner, says the automotive event requires competitors to switch quickly between tasks such as diagnosing an electric vehicle and working on steering, suspension or advanced driver systems. Technical knowledge is only part of the preparation. Competitors also work on mental resilience, and Breadner says Skills Alberta has even provided a nutritionist to advise competitors. Breadner says attitude matters, particularly when training stretches over many months. “So, if you’re an excellent technician, but you don’t have a great attitude, you’re not going to have that fortitude to stick it out for the 16 months that we’ve been training and dedicate that time that’s needed to be successful at the world’s level.” Kokot chose Breadner to continue as his trainer after the national competition. Breadner had already taught him and helped him prepare for earlier events. he pair has logged well over 300 hours of training together. Breadner says they have continued training at least weekly, alongside Kokot’s full-time job and work toward his journeyperson certification. “I’ve been involved with skills at the national level and provincials for a few years now, but this is my first worlds, and so to be able to see Carter go there and see him compete is everything,” Breadner said. Their preparation has included international practice competitions in China, Hungary and France, exposing Kokot to different vehicles and ways of diagnosing problems. Breadner says they worked on European vehicles in France and many Audis and Volkswagens in Hungary. In Shanghai, he says competitors will face a mix that includes European vehicles, General Motors vehicles and Chinese BYD electric vehicles. “So, Carter really has to be fluid with different makes and manufacturers and how they put together their test strategies or how they have different schematics,” Breadner said. For Kokot, those trips have helped him prepare for what he might face. “I think seeing cars from around the world, it really gives you that good perspective on what I may encounter at the world competition.” Finding the fault is only part of the test. Breadner says judges also look for the everyday habits that protect a customer’s vehicle and ensure the work is done safely. “There are marks lost for not putting a seat cover back on, maybe not checking the oil when it’s in there for a drivability issue,” Breadner said. “So, these good habits that technicians should have are one of the things that they look for, as well as safety and as well as those technical capabilities.” Breadner says they do not know the scoring rubric in advance, so they study previous competitions to see where marks were awarded and use that to guide their preparation. Kokot credits his employer with giving him time off for training trips. He says Skills Alberta and Skills Canada have supported his travel and accommodations. “The experience has been fantastic for me. I’ve got to see countries I never thought I’d get to see, and meet new people across the world,” Kokot said. “I don’t see them as my competition, they’re more my friends.” The benefits extend to his everyday work, he says, improving his problem solving and efficiency. The experience has also brought him closer to other competitors through team meetings, shared meals and months of preparation. But even with that training behind him, he expects nerves. “I think if you care about something, you’ll be nervous for it. So, I just try to trust in my training and do my best.” Joining Kokot from SAIT are Tyler Gunther in industrial mechanics, Ben Jamison in aircraft maintenance, Tate McGarry in cabinetmaking and Jacob McClelland in CNC milling.
