Skillz & Thrillz: Alberta’s Trade & Tech Youth Podcast

Through in-depth conversations, we aim to provide valuable advice and insightful perspectives on the impact of the Skills Canada competitions on the careers and lives of our guests. Join us as we explore the journeys of Alumni and many others and uncover the lasting effects of their participation in the Skills Canada Competitions.

Request a guest: Do you or someone you know have a Skills story they’d like to share on our podcast? If so, you can go ahead and request a guest here.

Listed below are the most recent episodes:

In this episode, we sit down with Diego De Dominicis Barrios, gold medalist in Electronics Secondary at the 2025 Provincial Skills Canada Competition. His win earned him a spot on Team Alberta for the 2025 Skills Canada National Competition in Regina, Saskatchewan—where he also took home the Team Spirit Award alongside his Ernest Manning classmate, Amal Hussainy.

Diego shares his inspiring Skills journey, what it was like to train and compete at such a high level, and the incredible support he received from teachers, mentors, and fellow competitors in the Electronics community. He also offers thoughtful advice for future competitors and reflects on his unforgettable time in Regina.

In this episode, we chat with Mikayla Hannesschlager, gold medalist in Bricklaying at the 2025 Provincial Skills Canada Competition and proud member of Team Alberta at the 2025 Skills Canada National Competition in Regina. Mikayla shares her journey into the skilled trades, growing up in a family of bricklayers and finding her own path in refractory work—carving a unique space in a field where her family specializes in red brick.

She opens up about the training and mentorship that shaped her success, the importance of having women role models in the trades, and how confidence plays a key role in both competition and career. Mikayla also offers practical advice for anyone looking to explore bricklaying or step into the competition world. Plus, she gives us a look ahead at her next big challenge: representing Canada at a union bricklaying competition this fall in Detroit!

In this episode, we sit down with Rachel Turner, gold medalist at the 2018 Provincial Skills Canada Competition in Photography and bronze medalist at Nationals—as she shares her inspiring journey through the world of Skills competitions and beyond. Rachel opens up about the challenges she faced and the lessons she learned, including how overcoming self-doubt played a major role in her success.

She reflects on the invaluable mentorship she received from Lance Burns and how his guidance helped shape her path. Instead of taking the corporate route, Rachel chose to follow her creative passion and built her own photography business. From the competition floor to capturing life behind the lens, Rachel’s story is a testament to perseverance, mentorship, and the power of believing in your craft.

Tune in to hear how Rachel turned her Skills experience into a thriving career and how you can do the same.