Red River Technical Vocational Area (RRTVA) students had a strong showing at Thursday's 2024 Skills Manitoba competition at Red River College Polytechnic in Winnipeg, bringing home four medals. About 500 high school and post secondary students participated this year, with six from the RRTVA.

Northlands Parkway Collegiate (NPC) student Palak Jain won gold in the Aesthetics (Skin Care) category, with classmate Brianna Neustaeter, also from N.P.C., receiving silver. (Instructor Brenda Richer)

Garden Valley Collegiate's Joshua Dyck brought home gold in Electrical Installation (Instructor Trent Krahn).

W.C. Miller Collegiate's Silas Krahn won silver in the Carpentry category. (Instructor Kevin Janz)

Meanwhile, Garden Valley Collegiate's Michelle Fehr and N.P.C.'s Carolina Wiebe Peters competed in the Baking event. (Instructor Shelley Patel)

Those who won a gold medal in one of the 42 hands-on events may join Team Manitoba at the 2024 Skills Canada event at the end of May in Quebec City.

Meanwhile, CFAM Radio 950 Morning Show Host Chris Sumner was once again a judge for the Job Skills Demonstration category where competitors have to demonstrate an aspect of the skilled trade they are studying, while explaining it on stage in front of a crowd. There were three competitors in the category this year; Grade 12 student Lexi Kantzioris with Embroidery Technology, Grade 11 student Beverly Maloney with Auto Technology and Grade 11 student Carly Douglas in Hairstyling.

After the competition was over, Chris chatted with the three about why they are studying trades, what they enjoy most and the advice they would give other young women thinking about giving skilled trades a try. You can have a listen to that conversation, below.