Shannon Paluch is making the best of his second chance.
When the autobody technician at Grizzly Trail Motors was attending Barrhead Composite High School (BCHS), he had previously qualified for the 2016 Skills Canada provincial competition in automotive technology by finishing fourth in the regional qualifying competition.
However, Paluch was unable to take his shot, as the Fort McMurray wildfire forced the event’s cancellation.
Fast forward three years and the Fort Assiniboine native received yet another chance to go to the Skills Canada provincial competition at the Edmonton Expo on May 9-10, this time as a car painter in the post-secondary category where he took home gold.
The win earns Paluch the right to join his Team Albert and compete in the national competition in Halifax from May 28-29.
Paluch said he never intended to be a car painter, but an automotive mechanic.
To further his goal, when he was in Grade 10, Paluch enrolled in the school’s automotive technology program and got a job with Grizzly Trail Motors as a detailer.
“My goal was to get to the automotive side and become a mechanic, but they didn’t have any positions open, so I decided to stay back here [at Grizzly Trail Motor’s collision centre],” he said.
Slowly he moved up the ladder, moving from detailing to installing accessories and power polishing.
But the longer he worked around the autobody side, the more he was drawn to it.
“For me, it is a lot more rewarding, so I decided to do my apprenticeship in autobody [which he is doing through NAIT],” Paluch said, noting he just completed his first-year apprenticeship training.
On the first day of competition, Paluch was asked to test and prepare a fender for testing. As part of the preparation work, Paluch had to make a small repair at the top of the fender.
“It was kind of jumbled,” he said, noting auto body and paint work often requires a lot of space and that a dozen competitors were all crammed into a small corner of the Expo.
On the second day, they painted the fender, a tri-stage red, using a two-tone process.
Competitors were judged how well they did each task and how long it took them to complete it.
For the national competition, Paluch indicated that participants will be asked to perform similar tasks that they completed at the provincial level.
“Basically it will be everything provincials was, except (multiply) the difficulty level by two,” he said
Levi Stephani
The Grizzly Trail Motors collision department will be in good hands for years to come. In addition to Paluch, they have another talented young autobody technician that has been recognized for his performance at Skills Canada Alberta after winning a bronze medal in the autobody repair post-secondary category.
For those who know Levi Stephani, they are not surprised that he is a skilled autobody technician.
“It runs in my family,” he said.
Levi is the fourth generation of Stephanis who have shown an aptitude for automobiles. His great-grandfather George was one of the founder’s of Stephani Motors.
Levi said it was his grandfather, Ernie Stephani, that had the biggest influence on him becoming interested in the automotive repair industry.
“I grew up hanging around my grandpa, working with my hands, and I always wanted to be like him,” he said, adding that although Ernie was a skilled mechanic, he was also a good man.
So when Ernie gave him advice about considering a career in the automotive trades, pointing out there are a lot of opportunities for young people if they are willing to work hard, Levi listened.
However, he did carve out his own path instead of following in his grandfather’s footsteps.
“Although I knew I wanted to do something in the trade like my grandpa, I also wanted to do something different. [Ernie was a mechanic] so I decided to become a body guy,” he said.
As a way to get into the industry, Levi enrolled in the Registered Apprenticeship Program (RAP) at BCHS, and as a result, he started working at North End Auto Body.
Another influence on Levi’s career choice happened when he was in Grade 12 and his truck, a 1999 Ram 1,500 sport, was stolen. It was for all practical purposes destroyed after the thief crashed his truck into a ditch.
The insurance company considered the truck a write-off and cut him a cheque. Instead of putting the money towards a new ride, however, he decided to restore his truck.
“It was the most difficult thing I have ever done,” he said. “It taught me a lot about perseverance.”
After graduating, Levi enrolled in NAIT’s auto-body technician program and was hired by Grizzly Trails Motors.
On the first day of competition, Levi was tasked with a dent repair and finish.
“I was a bit unsure of myself, partially because of their instructions,” Levi said, adding that, for the most part, the judges left the participants to their own devices.
On the second day, competitors had to complete an aluminum repair and weld and a B pillar fabrication, something he is very good at.
Levi noted that even everyone was trying to win, he didn’t treat the event as “super competitive.” “I just wanted to soak everything in and make good relationships with people,” he added.
Paluch agreed, noting the experience participants gain from the Skills Canada is invaluable, not only in terms of what they learn but the networking opportunities.
Levi also noted Skills Canada, especially at the provincial level, is the perfect place for anyone wanting to learn more about the trades to experience it firsthand.
“It’s like the Olympics for the trades, and they are all represented,” he said.
