The Provincial Skills Competition is an interactive event that profiles the best young talent in Alberta. Thousands will tour 200,000 square feet of space to see over 550 competitors develop skills in Alberta’s most in demand professions and utilize millions of dollars worth of tools and equipment.

Best described as the Olympics of Trade, the Provincial Skills Competition invites youth from across Alberta, representing high school and post-secondary levels, to compete in a variety of trade and technical events. The competition areas widely range from autobody repair to welding, graphic design to baking. During the two-day competition, each student specializes in one event area and must complete a project that has been designed by experts in that field. For example, a website developer competitor may be given the challenge of constructing a website for a fictional company.

The philosophy of the Provincial Skills Competitions is to reward students for excellence, to directly involve industry in evaluating student performance and to keep training relevant to employers' needs. Gold medalists at the provincial competition are further rewarded with a selection to Team Alberta and an opportunity to showcase their skills at the Canadian Skills Competition. This annual event rotates it’s location throughout Canada. The 2009 the Canadian Skills Competition will take place in Charlottetown, PEI.

Alberta students will earn a spot on Team Alberta at the 2009 Provincial Skills Competition, and represent the province at the 2009 Canadian Skills Competition.