More than 200 local students discovered the slate of trade skills they could perfect in the coming years.

Logan Goertzen

The RRTVA (Red River Technical Vocational Area) hosted a Trades Camp Monday for grade eight students from across the region. Students received hands-on time with welding, carpentry, culinary arts, automotive tech, electrical, esthetics and hairstyling.

The range of training opportunities opens up in grade 10 at high schools around the region. The RRTVA ensures students have access and transportation to any that pique students' interest.

RRTVA Program Service Coordinator Lane Curry explains the key was giving students time to "get their hands dirty" in a specific trade.

The interest sparked on Monday may lead to a fulfilling life-long career.

Rhys Hayden and Logan Schlorff"The stats from Skills Canada is a lot of these trade areas are of retirement age, and they haven't retired yet, so there's going to be lots of employment in the trades in the future," he says.

One student, Annabelle, says the experience only solidified her desire to dream to become an aesthetic technician.

Fellow student, Sven, says becoming an electrician seems more tangible after the camp, "it was just as I suspected; easy and fun."

Grade eight student Logan says he was drawn to the carpentry program, "I've always been interested in carpentry and I want to get a job in carpentry and thought this would be a good way to do that."

"I've learned a few things I didn't know about carpentry already," he says.