Second-year Heavy Equipment Technician Apprenticeship student Brandon Slingerland was in Toronto, Ont. last month representing Lethbridge Polytechnic and Team Alberta at the 2026 Skills Canada National Competition where he placed second in the Heavy Vehicle Technology category.
Slingerland, who works at Prairie Truck Centre in Picture Butte as a heavy vehicle technician apprentice, comes from a family of mechanics. He says he always knew mechanics would be his future.
"I was born and bred to be a mechanic," says Slingerland. "My dad, brother and brother-in-law are in the industry, and it felt right to follow that path."
In January, instructor and competition trainer Chris Hay approached Slingerland and asked if he would be interested in participating in skills competitions.
"I did competitions in high school for welding, so I had some idea of what to expect," says Slingerland. "I agreed to do it, and Chris and I got started on training not long after."
"Brandon immediately struck me as an outgoing, driven, and highly intelligent individual,” says Hay. “He possesses a strong willingness to work hard and continually learn from every experience. His background, character, and thoughtful approach to challenges will undoubtedly serve him well as he pursues future opportunities."
When asked about attending provincials, Slingerland says that's when the nerves kicked in.
"Training is one thing, working at a mock station where you're focused on working within a time frame and figuring out the best way to approach a fix," he says. "But the competition was different – the first few hours was spent learning the judging criteria, who you're up against and learning how the system works all on top of being watched while you work with hundreds of people walking by over the course of a few hours.
"Once I locked in though, I never felt the pressure of being watched like I do when I'm at work dealing with customers’ equipment; this felt different."
After provincials, Slingerland had just two weeks to prepare for the Skills Canada National Competition where he would compete with the 10 best students in his field from across the country.
“Nationals was exceptional; competition-wise it wasn’t that different, but the stakes were much higher, and I felt that pressure more,” he says. “Getting to meet so many people in the same trade as me and working on new equipment and brands were the best parts of the experience.
“Prior years were limited in brands of equipment, with only two or three due to sponsorships, but this year had six brands which is better for the competition because other competitors who have familiarity in certain brands don’t have that extra edge.”
Reflecting on his experiences through training and competitions, Slingerland says the experience he’s gained has altered how he approaches his work day-to-day.
“Going through training and competitions has changed how I work for the better,” says Slingerland. “I take more time on my mental plan of attack and find myself being more efficient and faster — even without judges grading me every day.”
While competition season has wrapped up and Slingerland is settling into summer, he already has his sights set on next year.
“I have two more years of age eligibility, so I’d like to do more Skills [competitions],” he says. “Next year is a World Skills eligible year, which would be a huge opportunity.”