TRU welding student off to worlds competition

Oct 5, 2017 | 5:31 PM

KAMLOOPS — It’s a far cry from Kamloops.

TRU welding student Andrew Christensen is gearing up to compete in the Skills Canada world championships in Abu Dhabi October 15 to 18.

The 21-year-old won gold at the national championships in Moncton, New Brunswick and at the Skills Canada BC competition in Abbotsford last year.

“It’s definitely a bit nerve racking,” said Christensen. ” I’ll be competing against 38 different countries for welding alone. I’ve put in over a year of training five to six days a week so at this point it’s just go and see how I do.”

Christensen says competitors undero a variety of tests.

“It’s to see how tight you can get your weld and how wide it is,” said Christensen. “It can’t deviate more than two millietres in width in some cases, they really pick it apart.”

While claiming top prize would be a dream, the fourth-year TRU student who has competed in the states, UK, and Australia says the real reward will come when applying for a job. 

“I’ve become ten-fold the welder I was a year ago,” said Christensen. “Now when I go and get a job it’s going to be pretty easy for an employer to look at my resume and go ‘oh wow’. I’ve put in three years of straight training and I still haven’t mastered it. There’s always different things to learn. It’s a fascinating trade”