A Lakeland College apprentice has returned from the world’s largest skilled trades competition with a prestigious international honour.
Logan Peters earned a Medal for Excellence at WorldSkills in Shanghai, China, becoming the first apprentice from Lakeland College to compete at the event as part of Team Canada.
The award recognizes competitors who demonstrate world-class standards in their trade. Peters competed in carpentry against some of the top young skilled trades professionals from around the globe.
“Competing at WorldSkills was a once-in-a-lifetime experience,” Peters said. “This whole process really helped hone my skills and build my confidence. It was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done and I grew so much.”
Peters’ journey to the international competition began in high school through Skills Alberta, where he won a provincial gold medal in carpentry before placing third nationally. After enrolling at Lakeland College, he continued competing and eventually earned a spot on Team Canada.
He travelled to Shanghai alongside Canadian teammates for four days of competition featuring approximately 1,400 competitors from nearly 70 countries across 64 skill categories.
Dave King, dean of Lakeland’s School of Trades and Technology, accompanied Peters to China and praised his accomplishment.
“Watching Logan compete at WorldSkills was inspirational,” King said. “To see him take on the top carpentry apprentices in the world and come home with a Medal for Excellence is a testament to the hard work he put in, the strength of those who supported him and the value of an education in the trades.”
Preparation
Preparing for the event required months of training. Peters spent weekends practicing with carpentry instructor David Jones while receiving guidance from Team Canada expert and NAIT instructor Paul Bettio. He balanced the training schedule with full-time work, supported by an employer who provided time to prepare for the competition.
Peters said the appeal of carpentry comes from seeing the results of a day’s work.
“If you like to stand back at the end of the day and look at what you’ve made, carpentry is a good trade for that,” he said. “That’s the real reward at the end of the day.”
The achievement marks a milestone for Lakeland College. It is the first time a Lakeland competitor has advanced to WorldSkills as a member of Team Canada.
The college has enjoyed growing success in skilled trades competitions in recent years. Eleven Lakeland students competed at Skills Alberta this year, while apprentice Braden Kereliuk captured gold medals at both the provincial and national levels. Over the past eight years, Lakeland apprentices have earned 19 medals through Skills Canada Alberta competitions.
Lakeland’s School of Trades and Technology offers apprenticeship training in several disciplines, including carpentry, electrical, welding, heavy equipment technician, automotive service technician, steamfitter-pipefitter and parts technician.
