The CWB Association brings you a weekly podcast that connects to welding professionals around the world to share their passion and give you the right tips to stay on top of what’s happening in the welding industry.

Today's guest is Nick Cotto, a Welding Professional whose journey from a struggling student to a respected Quality Control Inspector challenges conventional wisdom about career paths and learning. What makes Nick's story compelling is his transformation from someone who "wasn't good in high school" and "didn't have that attention span" to a professional who now devours code books and technical manuals with enthusiasm. The catalyst? Finding something he genuinely enjoyed and respected. Where classroom learning once felt impossible, Nick found that the practical, hands-on nature of welding education perfectly matched his learning style.

Follow Nick:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nick-cotto-909280183/?originalSubdomain=ca

Thank you to our Podcast Advertisers:
Canada Welding Supply: https://canadaweldingsupply.ca/
Canaweld: https://canaweld.com/
Josef Gases: https://josefgases.com/

There is no better time to be a member! The CWB Association membership is new, improved and focused on you. We offer a FREE membership with a full suite of benefits to build your career, stay informed, and support the Canadian welding industry.  https://www.cwbgroup.org/association/become-a-member 

What did you think about this episode? Send a text message to the show!

The CWB Association is thrilled to collaborate with Skills/Compétences Canada on a special podcast series. This year, we are excited to interview the Skills Canada Executive Directors from across Canada. Tune in as we explore their skills journey and commitment to promoting skilled trades in their provinces and territories!

Ian Howcroft, Executive Director of Skills Canada Ontario, discusses with us into how this province is transforming the perception and pursuit of skilled trades careers. Ian brings invaluable perspective from his 38-year career journey, transitioning from manufacturing advocacy to leading Skills Canada Ontario for the past seven years. Under his guidance, the organization has expanded to host Canada's largest skills competition, featuring 2,700 competitors across 77 contests and attracting over 40,000 visitors. But what stands out most is their innovative approach to reaching students wherever they are, with mobile trade and tech trucks equipped with welding simulators, 3D printers, and hands-on stations.

Website: https://www.skillsontario.com/

Follow Skills/Compétences Canada:
Website: https://www.skillscompetencescanada.com/en/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/SkillsCanadaOfficial
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/skillscompetencescanada/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/skills_canada
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/skillscanada

There is no better time to be a member! The CWB Association membership is new, improved, and focused on you. We offer a FREE membership with a full suite of benefits to build your career, stay informed, and support the Canadian welding industry. https://www.cwbgroup.org/association/become-a-member  

What did you think about this episode? Send a text message to the show!

The CWB Association is thrilled to collaborate with Skills/Compétences Canada on a special podcast series. This year, we are excited to interview the Skills Canada Executive Directors from across Canada. Tune in as we explore their skills journey and commitment to promoting skilled trades in their provinces and territories!

The narrative of having to leave the Maritimes to pursue a viable career in the trades is rapidly becoming a relic of the past. Robin Lorway, Executive Director of Skills Canada Nova Scotia, brings 18 years of perspective to this transformation, painting a picture of a province where opportunity now thrives and skilled tradespeople are returning home rather than departing. Robin's journey with Skills began when a friend rescued her from an unfulfilling public relations position, introducing her to an organization where she felt seen, heard, and valued. That environment of respect and innovation has fueled Skills Nova Scotia's expansion, creating initiatives that have become so popular with schools approaching them instead of the other way around.

Website: https://www.skillsns.ca/

Follow Skills/Compétences Canada:
Website: https://www.skillscompetencescanada.com/en/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/SkillsCanadaOfficial
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/skillscompetencescanada/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/skills_canada
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/skillscanada

There is no better time to be a member! The CWB Association membership is new, improved, and focused on you. We offer a FREE membership with a full suite of benefits to build your career, stay informed, and support the Canadian welding industry. https://www.cwbgroup.org/association/become-a-member  

What did you think about this episode? Send a text message to the show!

The CWB Association is thrilled to collaborate with Skills/Compétences Canada on a special podcast series. This year, we are excited to interview the Skills Canada Executive Directors from across Canada. Tune in as we explore their skills journey and commitment to promoting skilled trades in their provinces and territories!

Executive Director, Brandon Villeneuve, pulls back the curtain on the extraordinary logistics required to build trades education in Canada's Arctic. With communities connected only by air, prohibitively expensive travel costs, and weather that can ground flights without warning, simply getting competitors to events becomes a monumental achievement. Yet the challenges don't end there – finding local industry mentors, securing sponsorships in a region without major corporate presence, and creating training facilities that compare to southern resources all require creative solutions. Despite these obstacles, which make Skills Canada Nunavut's mission both challenging and profoundly impactful, Nunavut's trades landscape holds tremendous opportunity. 

Website: https://www.skillsnunavut.ca/

Follow Skills/Compétences Canada:
Website: https://www.skillscompetencescanada.com/en/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/SkillsCanadaOfficial
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/skillscompetencescanada/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/skills_canada
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/skillscanada

There is no better time to be a member! The CWB Association membership is new, improved, and focused on you. We offer a FREE membership with a full suite of benefits to build your career, stay informed, and support the Canadian welding industry. https://www.cwbgroup.org/association/become-a-member         

What did you think about this episode? Send a text message to the show!

The CWB Association is thrilled to collaborate with Skills/Compétences Canada on a special podcast series. This year, we are excited to interview the Skills Canada Executive Directors from across Canada. Tune in as we explore their skills journey and commitment to promoting skilled trades in their provinces and territories!

What happens when a youth from a remote community of 200 people discovers the world of skilled trades? Blake Moulton, Executive Director of Skills Canada Northwest Territories, is witnessing this transformation daily as he leads the territory's largest-ever delegation to the Skills Canada National Competition. With 40 team members including 22 competitors, they've brought together young people from across the vast northern territory, many of whom have never traveled outside their communities before. This personal growth is just as valuable as the technical skills they develop.
 
Website: https://www.skillscanadanwt.org/
 
Follow Skills/Compétences Canada:
Website: https://www.skillscompetencescanada.com/en/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/SkillsCanadaOfficial
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/skillscompetencescanada/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/skills_canada
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/skillscanada

There is no better time to be a member! The CWB Association membership is new, improved, and focused on you. We offer a FREE membership with a full suite of benefits to build your career, stay informed, and support the Canadian welding industry. https://www.cwbgroup.org/association/become-a-member  

What did you think about this episode? Send a text message to the show!

The CWB Association had the privilege to attend the Skills Canada New Brunswick Provincial Competition in Saint John, NB. Join us as we bring you special episodes recorded in person to advocate for careers in skilled trades and technology across the country.

Meet Calvin Getchell, a remarkable dual-trade professional whose journey through 12 Skills Canada competitions transformed his career and continues to shape the future of trades in New Brunswick. Now serving as Vice President on the Skills Canada New Brunswick Board of Directors, Calvin gives back to the organization that shaped his career. He actively mentors the next generation, passing on his knowledge while continuing to expand his own credentials, currently working toward a pipefitter ticket through UA Local 213.

Check out: https://www.skillscanadanb.com/

Thank you to our Podcast Advertisers:
Canada Welding Supply: https://canadaweldingsupply.ca/
Canaweld: https://canaweld.com/
Josef Gases: https://josefgases.com/

There is no better time to be a member! The CWB Association membership is new, improved and focused on you. We offer a FREE membership with a full suite of benefits to build your career, stay informed, and support the Canadian welding industry.  https://www.cwbgroup.org/association/become-a-member 

What did you think about this episode? Send a text message to the show!

The CWB Association had the privilege to attend the Skills Canada New Brunswick Provincial Competition in Saint John, NB. Join us as we bring you special episodes recorded in person to advocate for careers in skilled trades and technology across the country.

Today's guest, Andrew Clarke, Department Head for Skilled Trades at Harbour View High School in New Brunswick, reveals the hidden challenges and triumphs of preparing the next generation of welders and metalworkers. With no formal trades background but a lifetime of hands-on experience, Andrew represents the reality of trades education in many Canadian schools – dedicated teachers learning alongside their students while building programs that inspire young people to consider welding as a viable career path.

Check out: https://www.skillscanadanb.com/

Thank you to our Podcast Advertisers:
Canada Welding Supply: https://canadaweldingsupply.ca/
Canaweld: https://canaweld.com/
Josef Gases: https://josefgases.com/

There is no better time to be a member! The CWB Association membership is new, improved and focused on you. We offer a FREE membership with a full suite of benefits to build your career, stay informed, and support the Canadian welding industry.  https://www.cwbgroup.org/association/become-a-member 

What did you think about this episode? Send a text message to the show!

The CWB Association is thrilled to collaborate with Skills/Compétences Canada on a special podcast series. This year, we are excited to interview the Skills Canada Executive Directors from across Canada. Tune in as we explore their skills journey and commitment to promoting skilled trades in their provinces and territories!

Krystal Nieckar’s path to becoming Executive Director of Skills Canada Saskatchewan wasn't the traditional trades route. With a background in disability advocacy, corrections, and workforce development, she brings unique relationship-building expertise to an organization dedicated to elevating trades education across Saskatchewan. Krystal is excited to host the Skills Canada National Competition and welcome all competitors to her beautiful province this year, as we are in Regina, SK.  

Website: https://www.skillscanadasask.com/

Follow Skills/Compétences Canada:
Website: https://www.skillscompetencescanada.com/en/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/SkillsCanadaOfficial
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/skillscompetencescanada/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/skills_canada
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/skillscanada

There is no better time to be a member! The CWB Association membership is new, improved, and focused on you. We offer a FREE membership with a full suite of benefits to build your career, stay informed, and support the Canadian welding industry. https://www.cwbgroup.org/association/become-a-member 

What did you think about this episode? Send a text message to the show!

The CWB Association is thrilled to collaborate with Skills/Compétences Canada on a special podcast series. This year, we are excited to interview the Skills Canada Executive Directors from across Canada. Tune in as we explore their skills journey and commitment to promoting skilled trades in their provinces and territories!

Carol Ann Ryan's journey with Skills Canada began with a newspaper ad and transformed into a 27-year passion project that has revolutionized how Newfoundland and Labrador approaches trades education. As the founding Executive Director, she arrived with no knowledge of skilled trades but quickly built an organization that would send 83 competitors to the Skills Canada National Skills Competition just weeks after she started. What makes Newfoundland's Skills program distinctive is their pioneering approach to early exposure. Recognizing that career attitudes form before high school, they implemented junior high competitions nearly 26 years ago—starting as young as grade six.
 
Website: https://skillscanadanl.ca/

Follow Skills/Compétences Canada:
Website: https://www.skillscompetencescanada.com/en/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/SkillsCanadaOfficial
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/skillscompetencescanada/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/skills_canada
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/skillscanada

There is no better time to be a member! The CWB Association membership is new, improved, and focused on you. We offer a FREE membership with a full suite of benefits to build your career, stay informed, and support the Canadian welding industry. https://www.cwbgroup.org/association/become-a-member 

What did you think about this episode? Send a text message to the show!

The CWB Association is thrilled to collaborate with Skills/Compétences Canada on a special podcast series. This year, we are excited to interview the Skills Canada Executive Directors from across Canada. Tune in as we explore their skills journey and commitment to promoting skilled trades in their provinces and territories!

Courtney Donovan, Executive Director of Skills Canada New Brunswick, has transformed the organization from an unknown entity with minimal participation to a powerhouse connecting youth with life-changing career opportunities. New Brunswick's team has grown from 10 competitors in eight areas to 45 team members competing in 42 areas at the Skills Canada National  Skills Competition. What makes the Skills Canada experience so powerful is its ability to break down barriers and to open doors, creating connections between generations of tradespeople. Looking ahead, Courtney's vision includes expanding training opportunities through interprovincial and international competitions, leveraging New Brunswick's unique status as Canada's only bilingual province.

Website: https://www.skillscanadanb.com/

Follow Skills/Compétences Canada:
Website: https://www.skillscompetencescanada.com/en/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/SkillsCanadaOfficial
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/skillscompetencescanada/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/skills_canada
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/skillscanada

There is no better time to be a member! The CWB Association membership is new, improved, and focused on you. We offer a FREE membership with a full suite of benefits to build your career, stay informed, and support the Canadian welding industry. https://www.cwbgroup.org/association/become-a-member

What did you think about this episode? Send a text message to the show!