This is a big week for the vocational program at Steinbach Regional Secondary School. Five students are in Edmonton at the national Skills Canada competition. Grade 12 Vice-Principal James Gibson says students and their coaches travelled to Edmonton Saturday, took part in opening ceremonies Sunday and compete Monday and Tuesday.

David Messerschmidt is competing in Autobody, Jasper Froese in Carpentry, Lia Penner in IT Solutions, Anya Taranenko in Hair Styling and Henry Kasper in Car Painting.

Gibson says the students and their coaches have been hard at work since winning gold at provincials in April.

"The projects are a little bit more complex (at nationals) so their coaches spend a lot more time with the kids, working through skills, working through what the scopes are going to be. They spend a lot of time doing that. It's quite intense."

Gibson says the students are both excited and nervous to be representing SRSS on the national stage.