Skills Canada Series - Season 4 - Episode 5 with Benjamin Jamison

The CWB Association is proud to continue our collaboration with Skills/Compétences Canada on this special podcast series, where we will highlight the training, passion, and dedication,showcasing the road to WorldSkills Team Canada from the competitors, trainers, experts, and everyone involved as they prepare to head to the World Skills Competition in Shanghai, China,on September 22-27, 2026.

From Air Cadets to WorldSkills Team Canada, Benjamin Jamison is preparing to represent our country in Aircraft Maintenance at WorldSkills Shanghai 2026. In this episode, Benjamin shares how his passion for aviation and working with his hands led him to a career as an Aircraft Maintenance Engineer, his journey through Skills competitions, and what it means to compete on the world stage. He also discusses the importance of mentorship, the lessons he's learned through competition, and why he's committed to inspiring the next generation of skilled trades professionals.  

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Transcript

Welcome And Series Kickoff

SPEAKER_01 0:00

Welcome to the CWB Association Welding Podcast. I'm your host, Kevin Kwat. Let's flip up the lid and spark some conversation. Welcome to the CWB Association Welding Podcast. We are proud to continue our collaboration with Skills Competence Canada on this special podcast series where we will be highlighting the training, the passion, the dedication behind the road to Team Canada from the competitors, trainers, experts, and everyone involved as they prepare to head to World Skills Competition in Shanghai, China.

What Aerospace Technology Really Means

SPEAKER_01 0:36

Today we'll be having an exciting conversation as we discuss aerospace technology with Team Canada competitor Benjamin Jameson. How's it going, Ben?

SPEAKER_00 0:45

I'm doing good. How are you, Kevin?

SPEAKER_01 0:47

Doing all right. So let's just break this down. What is aerospace technology?

SPEAKER_00 0:54

Um, my trade name is an aircraft maintenance engineer. So there's pilots that'll fly the aircraft or helicopter, and then there's the ground crew like me that'll maintain and repair and inspect the helicopter or airplane.

SPEAKER_01 1:12

So how did you fall into this trade?

SPEAKER_00 1:16

Well, I was deep in the cadet program growing up, and I was thinking I either wanted to be a mechanic or I wanted to be a pilot, and then I found out about aircraft maintenance, and I knew that's exactly what I wanted to do. It's the hybrid between both of the things that I was loving.

SPEAKER_01 1:32

So, what made you made make that leap? Like, do I want to fly them or do I want to work on them? What what what showed up in you that that decided?

SPEAKER_00 1:41

Uh not exactly sure. I've always been working with my hands, lots of like construction with the family, house renovations, that kind of stuff, and then having my own projects like fixing old lawnmowers and stuff like that. And then I guess helicopters was the next big leap for me.

SPEAKER_01 2:00

So you were an air cadets, you mentioned that, right? Yeah. Um, when did you start working on helicopters and stuff?

Engines, Flight Controls, Test Flights

SPEAKER_00 2:09

Well, um, it was right during COVID-19. I went down to SAIT in Calgary, and that's when I kind of started my school. It was a two-year program, and that's when I got my first hands-on experience with some real retired aircraft. And then after I graduated from that, I got a job working on King Airs and Beach 1900s, and that was my first time getting hands-on, real flying aircraft, and I'll always remember that.

SPEAKER_01 2:37

Yeah. So you gotta be pretty precise, I'd have to say, if you're gonna be working on stuff that flies around, right?

SPEAKER_00 2:44

Well, it's no different than any car, it's got limitations that it needs to be when be within, whether it's a couple thousandths of an inch, it's either right or it's wrong.

SPEAKER_01 2:57

Yeah, a couple ten thousandths of an inch.

SPEAKER_00 3:00

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 3:00

Yeah, that's pretty cool. So, what kind of uh what what part of the airplane or helicopter is your favorite part to work on?

SPEAKER_00 3:09

Well, I gotta say the engines. Everybody loves the engines, they're cool, they spin fast, make a whole lot of horsepower. But I also like the flight controls, they're lots of fun. That involves you setting kind of a baseline, then you go up for test flights and see how much vibration you have in the machine, and then you'll land and make adjustments as required. So it's a full day of having fun.

SPEAKER_01 3:34

I I can't begin to imagine how how intricate like flight controls are. Can you like explain that to me?

SPEAKER_00 3:42

Well, it all depends on the type of machine. Like the bigger ones are all kind of hydraulic, whereas the smaller ones use more cables and pulleys, and it's just pilot inputs. Those are the fun ones to work on. So so do you do much flying then as part of your training? Uh only on test flights. That's about it. I was thinking about getting my PPL, but I'd much rather fix the machine than fly it.

SPEAKER_01 4:10

And what is a PPL for the listeners?

SPEAKER_00 4:12

Sorry, that's your private pilot's license.

SPEAKER_01 4:15

Okay, yeah. Is that still something you consider doing?

SPEAKER_00 4:19

Yeah, in in my spare time, of course, but I got a whole lot on my plate with world skills, so I think I'm gonna focus on that for now.

SPEAKER_01 4:27

Well, that's that's a very good lead up to the next

Training Week With STARS Air Ambulance

SPEAKER_01 4:30

question. Is so what kind of training are you doing right now? What does a typical week look like for you?

SPEAKER_00 4:35

Uh lots of it is on the job training. I currently work with my trainer, so it's really nice that we can go into a project at work and treat it like a work world skills project. And then after work, I'm also allowed to use their facilities if I need to do any sheet metal work or electrical work, then I can fabricate my own assemblies in my own time.

SPEAKER_01 5:00

Do you want to shout out who your trainer is or where do you work?

SPEAKER_00 5:04

Oh, yeah, of course. I work for Starz Air Ambulance, they're helping me a lot. They're a sponsor of mine, and my trainer is Mr. Ryan Gillis. He's a very good mechanic.

SPEAKER_01 5:13

That's amazing. Yeah, I mean, STARS is an amazing program to begin with, and I think that'd be the best place to work when you want to get that kind of experience because you got to upkeep that equipment because it saves lives.

SPEAKER_00 5:26

Yeah, without a doubt.

SPEAKER_01 5:28

So is it pretty rigorous? Do you spend you know most days there, two, three days out of the week? Are you there weekends?

SPEAKER_00 5:35

Yeah, I'm there. I work uh shift work, so I work eight days on and then six days off. So it's quite nice just to go into work, do my 10 hours, get complete full job, and then go home and get well rested, ready for the next one.

Mental Prep And Fixing Mistakes

SPEAKER_01 5:51

Do you do any kind of um physical training or do you do any kind of mental training as part of that training?

SPEAKER_00 5:58

Yeah, of course. Mental training is a big one. Like you got to be strong in the head in order to compete at this level. So whenever I'm going into any job, I always take the first three minutes, walk through all the steps in my head. This is what I'm gonna do, this is how it's gonna go, this is what it's gonna look like. And then once you get that picture in your head, then your hands have to go to work.

SPEAKER_01 6:23

Yeah. Has there ever been a moment? Because you've you've competed nationally, like provincial, national as well. So has there ever been a moment where you got kind of hung up? And how did you overcome those those little hang-ups?

SPEAKER_00 6:36

Well, everybody makes mistakes, so there's always those kind of errors that happen, like in the electrical project, if you crimp a wire wrong, then you gotta cut it and it'll be too short, and you gotta redo everything. So just sit back, realize you messed up, and then think about what you gotta do, and then start doing it.

SPEAKER_01 6:57

Yeah, that's very true. I think like even myself, I get nervous sometimes or anxious when I've you know come into a big situation. So what what are the kind of tools that you use mentally to get over that?

SPEAKER_00 7:12

Um, I'm not exactly sure what kind of tools a guy could use. I'm fairly headstrong, I guess you could say. I'm not sure if that's the correct correct term, but I broke it, it's broken, I can't fix that, but I can work with it.

SPEAKER_01 7:29

That's a that's actually a great mentality, and like I always tell people, you know, like it's not a mistake if you can fix it and no one saw you.

SPEAKER_00 7:37

There you go.

Teaching Cadets And Building Confidence

SPEAKER_01 7:38

Yeah, so let's go back to uh air cadets. So are you still involved in that?

SPEAKER_00 7:45

I am. Yep. I'm uh a civilian instructor there, and then after I'm finished competing in Shanghai in September, then I'll go back and join the reserves and help them in that way too. So I'm looking forward to it.

SPEAKER_01 8:00

That's really cool. Do you think that being able to teach uh you know the next generation coming up helps you as a competitor?

SPEAKER_00 8:10

Yeah, of course. I mean, I feel a great honor being able to teach the up-and-coming generation. I mean, I'm very passionate about my industry, and I'd love to help get these kids in. And if there's any of them are slightly thinking about it, then I have the tools at hand to really rope them in and show them what we're all about. So it really lets me get to know the industry, helps me talk to people and make connections, and I mean it's a really good thing. I'm a big fan of the Cadet program.

SPEAKER_01 8:41

That's that's great, actually, because I always think like if you want to know a subject, you have to teach it. That's when you really get behind

WorldSkills Tasks And Sheet Metal Precision

SPEAKER_01 8:49

it. So, what's been the hardest skill for you to master throughout this competition?

SPEAKER_00 8:56

Um, it's gotta be the sheet metal in terms of just raw skill, because in my um competition, there's five aspects that I need to go through. There's an aircraft inspection task, then there's a sheet metal task, I have an electrical task, and then I have a general component task, and then I have an engine task. So with the component and the electrical and the engine, it's kind of all uncertain. You don't know what you're gonna be doing up until the five minutes before you have to do it. The sheet metal is a little bit more controlled, it's either gonna be a repair or I need to fabricate something out of aluminum, which involves taking your flat sheet of aluminum, bending it up within your specs, and then ribboning it all together. So I need to bend up whatever it is, like an antenna bracket or something, all within half a millimeter, and everything has their specifications. It's either right or wrong, are your bends right or wrong? Are your bend radiuses right or wrong? Right? Are your rivets right or wrong? It's kind of you gotta try and get a lot of rights in there.

SPEAKER_01 10:03

That seems like a lot. What kind of tools do you use? You're you're mentioning bending the aluminum. How do you do that?

SPEAKER_00 10:09

Um, generally for sheet metal, common tools that we're gonna use is uh shear, that's what we use for cutting the aluminum, and then a bending brake, that's what we use for bending it up, and then like pneumatic drills and um uh pneumatic rivet gun bucking bars, and that's really the basics.

SPEAKER_01 10:31

But yeah, that's a lot of things you have to know how to use though to compete in in your trade.

SPEAKER_00 10:37

Yeah, everything's got their little fine details that you need to know before you can use it, especially you get that half a millimeter tolerance.

SPEAKER_01 10:48

That's uh that is very tight. I'm a welder by trade, and uh, you know, like I'm used to working within an eighth of an inch, like we're fine. But you're you're going way past that.

SPEAKER_00 11:02

I think that's uh lots of the world's close competitors have lots of really tight tolerances. It's not just my trade, we've all got to be within that one millimeter or half a millimeter or whatever it is.

SPEAKER_01 11:14

Yeah, so you have to be right, but you also have to be accurate. Exactly.

Competition Pressure, Wins, And What It Proves

SPEAKER_01 11:19

Yeah, during you know, your competitions leading up to this, um what has been your favorite kind of experience?

SPEAKER_00 11:30

Um, I'm a really big fan of competing. I mean, you walk up to the stand and it's nothing but nerves, right? You're white in the face, your heart is beating out of your chest, you can't breathe, and then the timer starts go. And it's just everything it's your mind gets cleared, and then you can just start doing what you do, working with your hands and getting the project done. And when you get it done, there's no better feeling in the world.

SPEAKER_01 11:55

Absolutely. So, do you think the feeling is the same, like let's say on a local level, and then you know, moving forward, have you have you felt the same amount of pressure, or does the pressure build as the competition builds?

SPEAKER_00 12:08

Well, I competed twice nationally, once in Quebec City, and the second time in Regina. And I mean, the first time I was kind of walking into it, I didn't really know exactly what I was getting myself into, but the second time in Regina, I knew exactly what I needed to do, I knew exactly how I needed to do it, and then I also had all my co-workers that were knowing about me doing it, and that was there was a lot of stress in Regina, but I got the job done, obviously, so I'm happy.

SPEAKER_01 12:38

So, what's been your proudest moment then? Was this this big Regina win?

SPEAKER_00 12:43

I think I was probably more surprised and proud in Quebec City. That was my first win ever. I never got to participate in any provincials, I just went straight to the nationals from Team Alberta. And I mean, I was as the bronze medal was called and the silver medal was called, I was sinking down into my seat saying, Man, there's no way I won this. And all of a sudden, Ben Jameson on the board didn't expect it at all, but it was an incredible feeling.

SPEAKER_01 13:12

That's amazing. Yeah, I can only imagine, especially like just getting dropped into a competition and and shining like that. Do you think that all had to do with your training, or is it who you are as a person? You said you're very competitive, but you know, like were you so nervous, but then you got like laser focused? What happened?

SPEAKER_00 13:32

Um, probably entirely the training. I got there was a couple weeks before the national competition when I was selected to go on Team Alberta, and then I did some hardcore training with Ryan Gillis, who is my current trainer at STARS before I was employed there, and he kind of helped me, showed me the ropes and gave me a couple of really good trips and tricks that I still use today. And then after I did that training session with him, they asked for my resume and I started working with them ever since.

SPEAKER_01 14:01

Nice. So I guess skills in some kind of way is a great is a great uh hiring tool. I guess it's something good to have all your resume. Would you agree?

SPEAKER_00 14:10

I agree 100%, especially for somebody, anybody in any mechanical trade, you're in a job interview. It's a lot better to say you're competing in world skills, you're competing in Skills Canada versus just, oh, I I change the oil on my truck every once in a while. Right? Shows that you're passionate about your trade.

SPEAKER_01 14:31

Yeah, very true. So what are you looking forward to the most about this world uh skills in China?

Shanghai Prep, Team Canada, And Being Watched

SPEAKER_00 14:41

I'm honestly, like I said before, I'm really excited for the competition. I know a little bit of what they're going to throw at me. I just came back from China. We had a training trip. Me and my trainer went there for five or so days. And it was really good to meet some of the competitors, know what I'm up against, get some hands-on some Chinese aircraft there. So uh I'm looking forward to Shanghai.

SPEAKER_01 15:07

Wow, that's super cool. Now, is that something that most trades do, or just you decided to do this?

SPEAKER_00 15:14

Um there is a specific company that's kind of sponsoring the world skills event called Jiang High Tech, and they're kind of making an aircraft that's cut into thirds. You have the nose section, then you have the fuselage, which is the body and the wings, and then you have the empennage, which is all the tail and the engines in the back there. So they invited the world skills competitors to come out and be able to get some hands on this trainer that they're developing before the competition. So I'm very fortunate that I was able to go and meet the competitors and get my hands on this trainer before Shanghai.

SPEAKER_01 15:52

Yeah, it kind of seems like a little bit of a cheat code because usually you don't find out what you'll be working on until you get there, right?

SPEAKER_00 15:59

Exactly. There have been some pictures circulating, but it's all just been, I mean, a picture up until now, but I kind of can put some pieces together in my head of what I'm going to be working with over there.

SPEAKER_01 16:13

Yeah, that's great preparation. So that side, you know, like the competition side, is there anything else that you like about competing? Like, is it is is Team Canada kind of like a big family?

SPEAKER_00 16:28

It is, yeah. I mean, lots of the competitors on Team Canada are really nice. It's good to go out and talk with them and be with them, right? I'm looking forward to Toronto as well. I'm leaving there for tomorrow, actually, for the national competition. So I'm looking forward to seeing all of Team Canada up together again.

SPEAKER_01 16:47

Yeah, I'll also be going to Toronto. I'll be bringing the podcast there. Um, yeah, so when you go to this national competition, you guys aren't competing, right?

SPEAKER_00 16:57

This is just kind of a I'm lucky enough to be um competing alongside of our competitors. I know lots of other people on Team Canada are either judging or not doing really anything, but I'm fortunate enough to be competing alongside the other competitors from Team Alberta, Team Saskatchewan, team BC.

SPEAKER_01 17:17

So wow. So you know, are you I guess you're not worried about that because you're already going to worlds. So what does that feel like for you?

SPEAKER_00 17:25

Um, well, now everybody's gonna be looking at my work really close and comparing it to all the other teams, see if I'm up to par or not.

SPEAKER_01 17:38

So what and again, I'm not putting this in the universe, but what would it what would it do to you if you just had a terrible showing?

SPEAKER_00 17:45

Well, I guess I gotta get my stuff together. I got a couple months before Shanghai, so I'm gonna be hitting the training hard already. And if I don't show up and give my best in Toronto, then I better be kicking it up in a high gear here.

SPEAKER_01 18:00

Absolutely. So what did it what did it uh feel like when you were chosen to represent Canada on a world stage?

SPEAKER_00 18:08

I mean, it's incredible. You you can't describe the feeling of being able to walk up on the stage and represent your nation in something like this. It's a trade that I'm passionate about and a nation I love. And I get to put the two together and represent my country to the highest caliber. It's incredible.

SPEAKER_01 18:28

That is absolutely amazing because this is this is the upper level of of the trades. It's it's the Olympic of the trades, right? Exactly.

Advice For Trades Careers And Skills Canada

SPEAKER_01 18:39

So, what would you say to a young person out there who's who's looking to get into the trades but doesn't know what to do?

SPEAKER_00 18:47

Do it pull the trigger on something. If you're not happy where you're at, it's easy to make a mis make a change, right? If you pull the trigger on autobody, then you can move into mechanics or anything else, right? But it doesn't do you any good sitting back and worrying. It's a lot better to pull the trigger, start doing something, and make a mistake than not doing anything at all.

SPEAKER_01 19:12

Do you think that Skills Competence Canada is a good path for doing that?

SPEAKER_00 19:18

100%. There is no better path than an apprentice, than an apprentice going through the skills competition, in my opinion. I mean, you have absolutely nothing to lose and everything to gain. You make you get all the skills through your training, and you get to uh talk with people in the same industry as you, get to network in that regard, get to put that mark on your resume as well. There's nothing better than skills.

SPEAKER_01 19:48

Now, I don't know if you've experienced this because you kind of came up through Air Cadets and you you're already training people, but for the people around you in your in your group or your friend group, has there been a lot of push towards the university side of things?

SPEAKER_00 20:02

Uh not really. I've known from a young age that I wasn't ever really going to go to university. I'm a big fan of working with my hands, as I said before. So I wanted to be a woodworker before, and then uh thinking about the mechanics or a pilot. And I've always I knew if I wanted to be a pilot or anything, I'd miss working with my hands. So I'm I'm very happy where I am.

SPEAKER_01 20:26

Yeah, a true craftsman, you know, that gotta work with the hands. That's where the the pride that comes from. That's where they're the feeling, you know, it's very rewarding, right? You get to see what you've worked on.

SPEAKER_00 20:38

Oh, yeah.

AI, Real Maintenance, And Aircraft Licences

SPEAKER_01 20:40

In your trade, is there the use of AI? And are you worried that AI is going to take your job?

SPEAKER_00 20:48

AI can't replace me. That's not something that's really possible. I'm in the heavy maintenance side of things, so for every hour the plane flies, there it needs to have a certain amount of maintenance. So our ships in particular, the big inspections are every 400 flight hours, it gets down, and then we have to rip the whole thing apart, and then every 800 hours we gotta do the same thing. Bring it down, rip the whole thing apart, inspect every rivet, every bend, inspect all everything for cracks. It's a big show, and it takes a long time, and there's no way a computer would be able to do it.

SPEAKER_01 21:27

That's very true. It but you do use computers in your work, right?

SPEAKER_00 21:33

Not necessarily just for the manual. Like my manual is online, and then we also use what's called a glass cockpit. So with the helicopter kind of only has computer screens in the front instead of gauges. So we do need to upload and retrieve some data from the computers, but that's about it. Everything else is with your hands.

SPEAKER_01 21:55

That is awesome. So when you're in competition and stuff, how close is The competition to what you have to do on a daily basis at your work?

SPEAKER_00 22:05

Some of them are really close. I could see myself doing the aircraft inspection project or task competition in real life at the job, but something like sheet metal or composite or electrical, that's a specialized trade. There's four different licenses in Canada that a guy can get. We have M1 license, which is smaller aircraft, M2 license, which is larger aircraft, your EE license, which is all electronics and avionics, and then your S license, which is all structures. So for me doing my sheet metal or a composite task competition, that's gonna fall under the S license. Or with the electrical um task, it's gonna fall under the E license. And then the other two kind of fall under M. So in my job right now, I'm only gonna be getting the M2 license. So this the aircraft and the component um tasks are right up my alley, but the other ones are more specialized.

Future Plans, Age Limits, And Giving Back

SPEAKER_01 23:12

Now, I guess you know, after you win gold at Worlds and you're coming back, um what's your future plans? You're gonna keep keep doing this trade, or you want to go get more certifications, or what are you thinking?

SPEAKER_00 23:27

Uh I'm gonna keep doing this trade. I see. Absolutely zero reason for me to leave in the position that I'm at right now. I mean, currently I'm loving it, I'm employed, I'm making money, so why break a good system?

SPEAKER_01 23:43

Cool. So you mentioned all these different classes. Is that something? Do you want to be just the guy that has it all?

SPEAKER_00 23:51

That would be nice. Yep. If you have your M1 and your M2, then you're considered to have them all. But lots of guys that have both M1 and M2 aren't super comfortable with structures or avionics. So structures is one thing that I'm quite a bit interested in the riveting and the banding aluminum. So if I were to get a second classification, I think I'd probably go for my S license.

SPEAKER_01 24:19

I guess going from that point, would you ever want to be the expert for Team Canada? Would you ever want to be the trainer and just keep this going forward?

SPEAKER_00 24:33

100%. I'm after I'm competing in Shanghai, I'm gonna 100% try and be an expert. This skills has done wonders in my life, and I'd like to give it back to some other kid.

SPEAKER_01 24:46

Yeah, that's absolutely amazing. Um so are you uh how old are you? And when do you when are you not allowed to compete in world skills?

SPEAKER_00 24:58

I am 22 right now, and I believe the age cap for my trade is 28, but you're not allowed to have your aircraft maintenance engineer's license. So I guess lots of people will come into my trade a little bit later in life and then can participate in the skills competition, but as long as they don't have their license, then they can compete.

SPEAKER_01 25:25

Because if you're already out there doing it, then you've got maybe a leg up on somebody. Exactly. So what from your experience, what is the average age of the people that you've gone up against?

SPEAKER_00 25:38

Uh that I've gone up against, they're low. They're right out of school, same as me, 21, 22, 23, right in that range.

SPEAKER_01 25:46

Have you gone up against uh older people that maybe just held off on getting their license just to go for it?

SPEAKER_00 25:53

Uh only one individual in Quebec City, but in terms of the people that I met in China already at this world competition, everybody's right around the same age as me. So we're all in level playing field here. Cool.

Other Trades Curiosity And A Hard Lesson

SPEAKER_01 26:08

Now I gotta go somewhere different here. Could you see yourself doing a different trade? Or would you have, you know, when you were a younger person, you know, what were you thinking about that isn't related to your trade?

SPEAKER_00 26:23

Well, as a younger person, I was really interested in woodworking and carpentry and all of that kind of stuff. That's what I grew up with. And then as I've kind of developed, I got more interested in the mechanics, into motorcycles, cars, and then as that developed into helicopters and planes. And now that I'm working on helicopters and planes, I'm kind of getting really interested in car painting. I have a lot of respect for the people that do it, and I think it's just absolutely fascinating. So if I were, if I couldn't be a helicopter mechanic, I think I'd want to be a car painter.

SPEAKER_01 26:54

That's that's really cool, actually, because that is that's an insane trade on its own.

SPEAKER_00 27:01

No kidding.

SPEAKER_01 27:02

Yeah. So is there a fun story, or on the other side of that, is there like a terrible story that you have from your experiences with skills? I know we talked about your win and how it felt, but like, is there something that went horribly bad and how you overcame it? Or is there something that was just like, yeah, I'm really good at this?

SPEAKER_00 27:24

I mean, everybody has their turmoils here in Quebec City. I really excelled at the piston engine task. It was magneto timing, so that's how you time the ignition when your spark plugs fire in your piston engine, and I really excelled at that. And then there was the other side of the turbine engines where I feel like I just completely failed. So I was going into that closing ceremony with low hopes because of that turbine engine project. But I guess my piston engine was good enough to keep my head above water.

SPEAKER_01 27:58

Yeah, so how do they grade it then? Like if if you know you felt you did something really bad on this one, did really good on this one. How do they actually grade this?

SPEAKER_00 28:08

Um, every one of my five competitions is broken out of 20 points, and then that 20 points is makes up the 100. So, like for sheet metal, for example, if my bends aren't within half a millimeter, then I'll lose a certain amount of points. If my if some of my rivets are bad, then I'll lose a certain amount of points per rivet, that kind of stuff.

SPEAKER_01 28:30

Yeah, that's crazy. So you yeah, you have to know it all to be a competitor going to worlds.

SPEAKER_00 28:38

Exactly.

Final Push For Young People

SPEAKER_01 28:40

I guess as we wrap up here, Ben what would you tell? You know, we kind of went over it already about you know, children going into the trades or young people going to the trades, but you know, like what would you tell them to get give them that that push? What would you say to them?

SPEAKER_00 28:59

Just do it. Nothing is holding you back from having your life. If you really want something, just go out and do it. I'm kind of in the position where I am by simply asking, hey, are you guys looking for an apprentice? Do you guys want to do this? Can I compete in the in the national competition? It's not anything that you can get or be given, it's something that you need to go out and get.

SPEAKER_01 29:25

That is a great piece of advice. Yeah. Ask questions. Don't be afraid to do that. Well, Ben, it's been awesome having you as a guest, and I wish you the best of luck at World Skills. I know you'll do great. Awesome.

SPEAKER_00 29:38

Well, thank you, Kevin.

SPEAKER_01 29:40

Thank you. And thank you, everyone, for tuning in to the CWB Association Welding Podcast and our special series collaboration with Skills Competence Canada. We wish Team Canada the best of luck, and we'll be cheering everybody on. Be sure to follow the podcast on your favorite streaming platform as we continue to showcase these amazing individuals. Thank you so much.