Skills Canada Competition—millwright student wins big for BCIT

Photo: L to R: Bryan Messer, Richard Turnbull, Brian Buckley, Mark Gauvin, Jean-Marc Bourgeois, Forrest Tittle, Ron Newman, Erick Medina – Missing: Robert Braun, Millwright Instructor and Skills BC Technical Representative

Mark Gauvin, apprentice student of the Millwright program, represented and won first place in the Skills Canada competition in June 2016. In doing so Mark won a donation of a ROTALIGN® touch laser shaft alignment system for the BCIT Millwright department!

The valuable prize was donated by Pruftechnik, a global company that develops, produces and supplies monitoring devices for industrial manufacturing needs. This month, the company’s Canadian National Sales and Service Manager, Jean-Marc Bourgeois, traveled from Laval, Quebec, to formally hand over the equipment and offer a personal demonstration.

“It was well worth my time,” says Jean-Marc. “BCIT is an impressive institution. I know our system will be well used by students—people who might come work with us or one of our customers one day soon.  Most of all, it is a recognition of BCIT dedication toward excellence.”

Jean-Marc was impressed with Mark.

“He was able to perform under heavy stress.  Most competitors underestimate how much is involved in such a competition,” he said, adding “it shows the quality of the instructors teaching at BCIT.”

One of those instructors is Bryan Messer, the Chief Instructor of Millwright at BCIT. He was on hand to congratulate Mark.

“The BCIT millwright department is extremely proud of Mark and his accomplishment on the national stage by winning the Skills Canada competition,” says Bryan. “It is a reflection of the three entities of apprenticeship, the worker, the employer and the school, all working together to produce a creative, well rounded millwright who can excel in many different situations.”

Also in attendance were Ron Newman, Technical & Sales Representative for Pruftechnik, Forrest Tittle, Dean of the School of Energy, Brian Buckley, Associate Dean Industrial and Mechanical Trades, Erick Medina, Millwright Instructor/Mark’s coach for Skills, Richard Turnbull, the Machine Shop Work Centre Manager at CFB Esquimalt (Mark’s new boss), and a group of Mark’s classmates who were cheering him on.

Congratulations Mark and BCIT Millwright!