Students’ skills shine through

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This article was published 17/05/2024 (717 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Two award-winning Brandon students who won provincial gold will be representing their automotive programs and the province as members of Team Manitoba at the Skills Canada competition in Quebec at the end of the month.

Ollie Sawatsky and Mathew Kuszak are both in Grade 12 and have taken automotive classes since Grade 9.

Kuszak is enrolled in Crocus Plains Regional Secondary School’s collision repair technology program and said he loves the engineering of vehicles.

“I really love cars. It’s a fun hobby of mine, and I like paying attention to detail,” he said. “I’m a perfectionist in some ways.”

Sawatsky is in French immersion at École secondaire Neelin High School, but he attends Crocus Plains for automotive technology — something that he said is second nature to him.

“I’ve always enjoyed pulling wrenches, and I grew up on a farm, so fixing out of necessity is really familiar, and then this branched off into cars, instead of just tractors,” he said.

Skills Canada is a trade and technology competition for high school and post-secondary students and apprentices across the country.

Kuszak and Sawatsky were selected by their teachers to represent Crocus Plains at the provincial Skills Canada competition which was held April 11 at Red River College Polytech in Winnipeg, where there were more than 500 students competing in more than 40 different categories.

And since both Kuszak and Sawatsky each won gold in their programs, they’ll be on their way to Quebec City from May 29 to June 1.

“It’s a massive competition,” said Jeff Kasprick, Sawatsky’s teacher in automotive technology. “There are thousands of people there. It’s like the Olympics for trades. And it’s not just automotive and collision, there’s welding, computer design, robotics, you name it — everything from cooking to carpentry skills.”

Kuszak, who took provincial gold in collision repair technology, is already practising the five challenges he’ll face at the nationals: removing a door skin, replacing a quarter panel, aluminum repair, frame measurement, and silicone and bronze welding.

“I’m practising during my autobody classes in the morning for two hours. And then I’m practising about two or three hours every second night after school,” said Kuszak.

Replacing a quarter panel is something Kuszak has done before in class, and said it is a common repair job.

“When your car rusted out over time, or if it gets damaged, you have to replace the quarter panel,” said Kuszak.

“We did it in Grade 10 as a class project and it took a month to do. So, during the Skills competition, I have an hour and 15 minutes to do it, and that’s including measuring it, prepping it and cutting it. I have to weld it as well. So, it’s really crunched down.”

In the adjoining automotive shop at Crocus Plains is Sawatsky, running tests and checking the air filter on a compact car.

When he is not in school, Sawatsky works at his job at Brandon Bearing Ag and Industrial Supply, repairing diesel and gas engines on semi-trucks and tractor engines.

But “these days,” he’s making time to practise for his competition in Quebec.

“I have no clue what to expect because I’ve never been at something that big. It’s a little nerve-racking, I suppose. But in Winnipeg, I had six stations broken down into electrical, drive train, brakes, engine, just gears and diagnostics.

“They grade you on how you’re able to first of all, see the problem, diagnose what you’re after, follow the steps, see through the repair and then verify.

“So, not only is it can you fix something, but it’s also — can you follow each step that the directives will have for you?” Sawatsky said.

There are five teachers in the two programs at Crocus Plains — three in automotive technology and two in collision repair.

Carl DeCosse teaches collision repair and has been with Crocus Plains since 2001.

He is a journeyman technician who managed a body shop and has his teaching certification as well.

The automotive program started in the late 1980s, said DeCosse, and to this day continues to be “very popular.”

“In Grade 9, they do some welding, body work, damage repair, some painting, artwork, things like that,” said DeCosse. “So, it’s very full, lots of fun and hands-on, they’re not expected to master anything that we’re doing.”

Grade 10 brings a bit more focus on damage repair and welding. In Grade 11, the students start working on cars including replacing panels, and in Grade 12 there’s colour matching and mixing, in the “paint side of things.”

“If they take the eight core credits, and they average 70 per cent, they leave here with their level one, and that’s the equivalent of the college pre-employment program, which takes a year. We are accredited with Apprenticeship Manitoba,” said DeCosse.

Regardless of what happens at the Skills Canada competition in Quebec at the end of this month, the students in both programs will be presenting their annual car show, held on school grounds June 14 — the last day of school — from noon to 2 p.m.

In addition to live music and food supplied by the school’s culinary program, there is prize money up for grabs.

A donation of $1,000, given by the Brandon and Area Car Enthusiasts (BACE) and the Road Rebels Car Club, will be awarded to certain students in Grade 10 and Grade 11, selected by their teachers, DeCosse said.

“They’re not restricted by what they do with the money, but we typically we hear the same thing, as in, ‘I’m going to go out and buy that toolbox that I wanted, or I’m going to get this impact (wrench),’” DeCosse said.

“I like they’re using that money to help further their education in the trades.”

» mmcdougall@brandonsun.com

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