High School students let sparks fly at annual welding rodeo

High school students stage welding rodeo High school students from around Calgary staged a welding rodeo Saturday. Tyson Fedor reports

High school students from across six school districts put their welding skills to the test at the eighth annual Calgary High School Welding Rodeo, taking place at the International Brotherhood of Boilermakers Canada Lodge 146.

There were about 50 students in attendance all trying to impress industry experts while competing against one another.

“It’s not as scary as everybody thinks it is,” says volunteer Riley McElroy, who competed in the competition in 2018.

“Everybody has this bad stigma around the industry and that whole blue collar (idea). It's not what it was 20 years ago, the advances in safety as well as the treatment towards others. It's something I'm so proud to be a part of.”

Bishop McNally grade 11 student Lily Lang believes the competition allows her to test her own skills on a higher stage.

“Today's been so great, because it's given me a chance to actually see what welding really is, because I haven't been welding for very long,” said Lang.

“It's been giving me a chance to apply the skills that I've learned in a useful setting.”

Lang says the door is open to having a career in welding.

Students in Career and Technology Studies (CTS) from the Calgary Catholic School District, Calgary Board of Education, Rocky View School District, Foothills School Division, Golden Hills School Division and Conseil Scolaire FrancoSud took part  in a series of timed challenges.

STAR WARS

The focus this year was Star Wars-themed.

Students completed a fabrication project, a scrap metal sculpture and one student from each group completed a mock welder qualification test.

Grade 12 student Tristan Manderson from Our Lady of the Rockies High School says learning off industry experts allows him to expand his knowledge and skills.

“Just doing the welding rodeo in general and getting into the field, I find it's an amazing thing and many young people should think about and just it opens up so much possibility in the future,” he said.

He says his group is all in on getting a win with the Star Wars theme.

“We are working on a separatist B1 battle droid from the Clone Wars,” said Manderson.