The CWB Association Welding Podcast
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The CWB Association Welding Podcast
Skills Canada Series - Season 4 - Episode 1 with Logan Peters & Paul Bettio
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The CWB Association is proud to continue our collaboration with Skills/Compétences Canada on this special podcast series, where we will highlight the training, passion, and dedication, showcasing the road to WorldSkills Team Canada from the competitors, trainers, experts, and everyone involved as they prepare to head to the World Skills Competition in Shanghai, China, on September 22-27, 2026.
Canada is returning to the WorldSkills stage in Carpentry for the first time since 2015. In this episode, Team Canada competitor Logan Peters and Expert Paul Bettio discuss Logan's journey from high school Skills competitions in Alberta to representing Canada at WorldSkills Shanghai 2026. Logan shares how competing has helped shape his career goals and prepare him for the world stage, while Paul reflects on his role as a first-time Team Canada Expert and the importance of developing the next generation of skilled trades professionals. Together, they offer an inside look at the dedication, preparation, and passion behind Canada's return to the international carpentry competition.
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Welcome And Series Context
SPEAKER_01Welcome to the CWB Association Welding Podcast. I'm your host, Kevin Kwat. Let's flip up the lid and spark some conversation. Welcome to the CWB Association Welding Podcast. We are proud to continue our collaboration with Skills Competence Canada on this special podcast series where we will be highlighting the training, the passion, the dedication behind the road to Team Canada from the competitors, trainers, experts, and everyone involved as they prepare to head to World Skills Competition in Shanghai, China. Today will be an exciting conversation as we discuss the carpentry trade with Team Canada competitor Logan Peters and national expert Paul Fedio. Did I say that right, Paul?
SPEAKER_00You sure did, Kevin. Nice work.
SPEAKER_01Nailed it. So okay, we're starting off strong.
Logan’s Path Into Carpentry
SPEAKER_01So, Logan, for the listeners meeting you for the first time, um, what interested you in the carpentry trade?
SPEAKER_02Well, I'll give you the same answer I give everybody. It started when I was in grade seven, and I had a really good shop teacher, and he just he made it really enjoyable for me. And soon enough I began to, you know, every time I built something, I could look at it, and it's nice to be able to look at something you did and say, I built that and see the product of your work. So that's that's kind of how it all started.
SPEAKER_01Very cool. And that's kind of where my love for welding started too is in high school and grade 10 welding. Um, Logan, do you remember uh like a project that you built or something that said, you know what, like I am good at this. This is going to be my trade.
SPEAKER_02That moment for me was really um when I was in grade 12, I competed in high school Carpentry Skills Canada, and I got first place in provincials, and I was sitting there at the awards ceremony, and I was like, you know what? Maybe I should pursue this. And so here we are today.
SPEAKER_01So it was really your your I guess your love for skills or skills competence or the competition that kind of led you to think this trade is for me.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, that was that was a big push for me.
SPEAKER_01So so now that you are doing this and you're competing, do you think you're going to keep going? This is this is gonna be your trade for for the rest of your life, or or what are you planning?
SPEAKER_02Absolutely, yeah. Right now I plan to keep doing what I'm doing. I like you know, I like building houses. That's it's nice to look back at the end of the day or the week or the month and say, you know, a few months ago there was an empty field there, and now there's a house, so that's the best part of it.
SPEAKER_01That's what uh makes tradespeople so proud, right? You betcha.
Paul’s Journey From Field To Teaching
SPEAKER_01So, Paul, for the listeners that don't know you, um how long have you been a carpentry instructor?
SPEAKER_00Uh, this is year 17 at nate. So 17 years uh working at the college. Um and you know, was always a a teacher in the field, anyways, leading up to it. So this was uh this was a calling.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, so what made you decide to to go into being an instructor? Did you work in the field beforehand?
SPEAKER_00I did. I worked in the field for a long time. Um, my first ticket was a welding ticket, believe it or not. Nice, and uh I ended up changing to carpentry because some of the guys I worked with I looked at and said, boy, look pretty rough. But they were guys that would never wear respirators, they'd smoke while they welded, you know, none of the safety stuff, right? So I just felt like I uh needed a new path. So I took on carpentry, worked in the field for a number of years, and then uh when I was in school, I kind of admired the instructors and what they what they did and kind of the lifestyle they were able to live, and thought that maybe one day it was something I wanted to pursue. So here we are today, 17 years of teaching. Wow. So what um what keeps you motivated to to teach? The students. The students keep me motivated, right? I mean, I I I I teach all four years of the carpentry apprenticeship, and I really, really uh love seeing the development of students coming in in first year and and leaving us in fourth year, you know, seeing the growth in these students and seeing uh the love for the for the actual trade itself. Uh, you know, some of these people when they came in, they they never thought that they'd ever be able to do anything like this. And then, you know, four years later, here they are with a a ticket in hand, and just so proud of of where they gotten and and just really proud of of the accomplishments that they uh that they've achieved, right? So it's a very rewarding position, and that's what that's what motivates me.
SPEAKER_01Oh, definitely. You you're shaping them into their career, and you can see you can it's just like being a tradesburn. You're still a tradesperson, you're seeing your work, your what you've built, basically.
SPEAKER_00Absolutely, yeah, yeah, for sure.
How Skills Canada Shaped Their Work
SPEAKER_01So, Paul, what uh what made you get involved with Skills Competence Canada then?
SPEAKER_00Uh so when I first started at NATE, uh my boss actually had been involved with skills for a number of years up to that point. And the the first year that I started, he asked me if I would be interested in kind of jumping on board and helping with the provincial uh skills committee. And I said, yeah, absolutely. Let's let's uh let's do this. And it just built from there. I I did a number of years just on the provincial committee, probably about uh four or five years, and then got involved judging with the national committee with skills Canada, and uh then a position opened up as the Alberta rep for the National Technical Committee for uh for Skills Canada, and I applied and I've been in that position ever since. So it's been about I don't know, eight or nine years I've been on the national committee as well. And uh yeah, it's it's just again, it's it's a very rewarding position. I've I've been able to give back to all these young uh carpenters that are that are coming up and and give them something to uh kind of strive to reach, right? To give them an uh the way I look at skills is it's the ability to I call it a live resume for these guys, right? Because they're really showcasing uh their abilities, their skills uh to the world. So you know it's pretty cool.
SPEAKER_01Oh, very true. Whenever I see skills competitor on a resume, I put that to the forefront because I already know like there's there's a passion, there's a drive, and there's obviously some skill behind them.
SPEAKER_00Absolutely, yeah.
The Shanghai Call That Changed Everything
SPEAKER_00You bet.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, so Logan, um, what was going through your mind when you found out that you were gonna rep Team Canada at World Skills in Shanghai?
SPEAKER_02Well, I see Paul smiling already. He knows exactly what I'm gonna say. Um, I get home from work one day, middle of summer, done with life because it was a hard day of work, and you know, and I get a phone call from the dean from the college, and he's like, You want to go to you wanna go to Shanghai, Logan? I'm like, Well, what are you talking about, man? What is going on? And he's like, Well, they added carpentry to worlds, and you're the you're the you're the guy. And I was like, Oh. I was just in shock, really. I remember at the at Nationals at the end of the closing ceremonies last year, they they played a little video, the intro to world skills Shanghai. And I just remember I was so happy with myself. I with where I finished, and I didn't pay much attention to it because it was never on the agenda, because you know, Carpentry was never a part of worlds for for me. So I was just I was just shocked because it was never supposed to happen. Never thought much of it, and then all of a sudden we're we're uh getting a hundred emails every week telling us what's going on. So yeah.
SPEAKER_01That's gotta feel pretty crazy.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, it was uh pretty cool, say the least.
SPEAKER_03Still in shock.
SPEAKER_04Yeah. Exactly.
SPEAKER_01This is a question for both of you.
Why Carpentry Left WorldSkills And Returned
SPEAKER_01So, carpentry was it part of World Skills before? Like Canada hasn't competed in carpentry for a very long time. So, how come that is?
SPEAKER_00Okay, so 2015, Canada pulled out of the carpentry competition at Worlds for the reason that it's not uh specific to the type of carpentry we do here in North America. Um their carpentry competition falls under some European standards, uh, ways that they build in France and Germany and Korea. Uh, they use a type of drawing called stereotype, which is very we're we're we're going through a very steep learning curve right now, trying to learn how to read these prints uh and how to construct things uh from these drawings. And because of that, Canada didn't really have a chance to, you know, to meddle or get on the podium. And because it cost a lot of money to send a competitor to these competitions, they just didn't feel there was value in it, and so they had pulled out of the competition uh after 2015. So uh I I fought for the last three years to try to get us back into the worlds uh with the help of uh Skills Alberta, and uh it just so happened in June I got a phone call uh from Skills Alberta saying, hey, guess what? We're back in. And uh it's due to the fact that there's a whole bunch of countries trying to change the model uh to reflect more of what carpentry is in in other countries, not just those few European countries. Um and so they just felt like you know, there's an opportunity here for Canada to voice, and maybe we can change the way things are done, and uh we can make this competition more appealing to countries from around the world to send carpenters because to be honest with you, the the numbers have been down the past three or four years, so yeah.
SPEAKER_01Well, that's that's good to know. And uh I thought it was because Logan's such an awesome competitor, you just like let's put this back in there.
SPEAKER_00Well, that was a big part of it for sure. Absolutely.
SPEAKER_01So, Logan, what does uh what does a week in your life look like right now as a as a world skills competitor?
Training Weeks And Timber Frame Practice
SPEAKER_02So right now it's a little bit slower than it's about to be in the next few months, but uh it's usually it's Monday through Thursday. I'm going to work every day, you know, regular job stuff, and then Friday, Saturday, and then even sometimes in the evening, I'm working on drawings or looking at prints or doing something. And then Friday, Saturday, I make the trip to the college in Vermilion, there, Lakeland College, and I spend a couple days with Dave or my uh my trainer there. So uh starting to wrap up here now that we're getting a little bit closer.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, what kind of it's you know, you mentioned prints, what other kind of stuff do you work on when you go to the college? Are you actually building stuff?
SPEAKER_02Yeah, so there's kind of two sections in our worlds project. Um, the first one is more of a timber frame type deal. So I'm building small projects, big projects, you know, especially because even at even at work, I'm not really doing much timber framing, right? It's more stick framing, that type of deal. So so we're working on timber frame joints and techniques and hand skills, and then we're also getting into that stereotomy. So that's looking over prints, um full scale drawings. So what you do is you take a you look at the print, figure out what you want, you gotta draw a series of 2D drawings in full scale, and then what you have to do is come sort of combine those 2D drawings together, and from that you can lay your work piece or your piece of wood on those drawings, mark it out from there, and then get cutting. So there's kind of a lot going on with that, and it's it's definitely a steep learning curve, but we're getting there, so yeah.
SPEAKER_01I uh it sounds like a bit of a challenge. Like you have to break down a set of prints to just draw your own prints, so it's and then you gotta put them back together. If only they gave you like a 3D rendering or something.
SPEAKER_02That would definitely help a little bit, but we're uh we're making it work here.
SPEAKER_01So we're learning, yeah. And and print reading is very important, right? I've I've been at some of these competitions, and you could be the best tradesperson out there, and you make a mistake on your print, and it could cost you major points. Absolutely. Yeah. So, Paul, being the Team Canada expert for carpentry, what does that role involve for you behind the scenes?
SPEAKER_00Uh a lot. Uh, trying to make sure that, well, of course, I understand the concepts behind all of
Learning Stereotomy And Print Reading
SPEAKER_00this because when we get to Shanghai, you know, Logan and I are going to be the ones communicating together when we're there. Uh, but also making sure that uh, you know, we're following a specific training plan. We're meeting goals. Uh so we're trying to set goals for David and Logan to try to meet uh each week, each month, that type of stuff. Uh also making sure that Logan is lined up with the tools that he requires to uh you know um get his training to where it needs to be. Uh, we we actually had a great contact here just recently. Uh DeWalt uh stepped forward and donated all the tools that he's going to use in Shanghai, our tools and all, for him to set up in his shop and train with now. So uh so that's a that's a plus because knowing your tools before you get there is a huge benefit, right?
SPEAKER_01So yeah, that is amazing of DeWalt. Shout out DeWalt. Absolutely. Yeah. Um, speaking of tools, and we'll get back on your role, but do you have to bring your own tools to this competition?
SPEAKER_00Uh that the hand tools and stuff, like he'll bring that that type of stuff, but but all the power tools will be supplied at the competition. So we just have to make sure that we have all our you know, all our chisels and hammers and clamps and all those types of things um to bring over there. Um and then and then the rest gets supplied uh when we get over there.
SPEAKER_01So very cool. So what what other kind of things do you do um behind the scenes beside you know scheduling and and getting sponsors?
SPEAKER_00Yeah, so that's the stuff I would do with Logan and David. Then I have the role of representing our country. So uh as an expert, my job is to make sure that we come up with a fair project, uh, that we have a fair um rubric for scoring, um, to make sure that everything is ready uh for these competitors to compete fairly at the competition. So I'm constantly in contact with other experts from around the world. We have a discussion forum that we uh are constantly on, uh communicating back and forth, and just uh trying to uh make sure that we have everything prepared uh for these competitors uh when they get there to train and uh and make sure that that that project is is is a fair project for everyone. So I guess I'm kind of the advocate for Canada to make sure that we agree with the direction and the path that that they are taking for these guys when they get there.
SPEAKER_01Oh, that makes sense. You gotta set a level playing field if this is gonna be really to find out who is the best competitor.
SPEAKER_00Absolutely, yeah.
SPEAKER_01So Logan, what does it mean to you to be helping put Canadian carpentry back on the map like internationally?
SPEAKER_03Well, obviously it's it's huge, right?
SPEAKER_02Like to be, you know, we're obviously such a major trade and such a major part of construction, what goes on. And it's a little it was a little disappointing that we weren't out there representing what we have, so so it's it's pretty cool to be able to be a part of putting us back on the map here, and it's uh it's nice to know that you're helping out with that and look forward to you know even helping out the next guy so we can just get better and better and become competitive again.
SPEAKER_01That's very true. So how do you how do you balance the pressure of of the competition while still uh like enjoying yourself?
SPEAKER_02To be honest, that's still a work in progress here. That's uh that's that's also another part of the training actually that gets left behind a little bit is the the mental side of it because it's it's not just obviously a huge part of it is what you can do, but the other side is how can you carry yourself through it all, right? Can you can you keep it together and say something was to go wrong, can you bounce back from that? And that's some that's another thing we gotta work on here is staying cool through it all.
SPEAKER_01So which is not often easy to do. Are you more of a relaxed kind of guy, or are you uh you're flying off the wall most of the time? I'm flying off the wall, man. I won't, I won't I see as soon as I ask that question, yeah. Paul's just shaking his head, smiling. Yeah. Yeah.
SPEAKER_02Anybody who's been there knows. Um you get me in a
Expert Duties, Fair Scoring, And Tools
SPEAKER_02well, I'm competitive too, right? I've played sports all my life. Um so when I'm in there, I'm it's not exactly a chill experience. Yeah, we're we're we're throwing hammers. Hopefully it doesn't get to that point, but hey, you never know.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, so you said you said you know this is something that kind of gets left behind, and you're you're training towards that. What what kind of training is there? Like how do you how do you practice for that?
SPEAKER_03Well that's that's a good question, actually.
SPEAKER_02It's it's one of the it's it's definitely tougher to to work on that type of stuff, but it's you know, for example, the provincial competition. It's good to actually be there in that environment because I had something go wrong. Not not a huge problem, but something you have to work through. And it's really just repetition. So this is went wrong, this is what went wrong, this is what I gotta do to fix it. And it's it's going through those situations, it helps a lot.
SPEAKER_01Oh, absolutely. If it comes easy every time, then you think you're you know the hottest guy out there, then you have that one mistake, and like your whole body shuts down. You get those weird feelings in your stomach, you start sweating, and then you you you don't know what to do.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, exactly. That'll and you don't want that to happen over there, right? So something we gotta work out beforehand.
SPEAKER_00We've been pretty we've been pretty lucky, Kevin. We've been hooked up with the Canadian. Sport Institute, and uh they've actually been working with us some mental with some uh mental training. Um, so we're trying to take some of those tools to work with Logan uh to kind of get his mind into a place where you know when things do get tough, he'll be able to kind of grab onto it and and make that change. And and then us as the kind of the support for him, um we're learning the tools that we can utilize if to recognize when we see something's in Logan's head, and we can try to kind of ease his mind for him or with him and walk him through the process. So it's been pretty cool working with him.
SPEAKER_01That's actually really amazing because the mental side of things, and and you touched on it, Logan, like people don't really
Pressure, Mindset, And Mental Training
SPEAKER_01consider, they don't really think about it, they just focus on the task at hand, right? But mental health is a huge thing.
SPEAKER_03Absolutely it is. Yep.
SPEAKER_01So, Paul, behind the medals, behind the rankings, behind you know, putting carpentry back on the map, um, you know, what is life like for a skills competitor? Like what um what kind of skills do they gain from this?
SPEAKER_00Well, they gain a lot of valuable skills. They gain they gain the skills to be able to work under pressure, right? Uh, you know, that's a huge one. Uh, because we all know uh for all of us that have been part of skills, we've seen that in these competitions, you have to work fast and you have to work under pressure. There's a lot of eyes on you at at these competitions, uh, thousands of people watching you. You have to learn how to be able to control your mind from the outside of what you're doing as well. So there are mental skills that do come into play that they learn uh during their um training process as well. Um but it's just the ability for these carpenters to say, I can do this, you know, uh, because any of us that work in trades know that trades are always high pressure, and you have to be able to deal with that pressure, and so this gives them a lot of uh quality tools to be able to do anything, you know. And when they when they get into this competition mode and they they get through the project and they finish off whether they meddle or the or not, they're all winners, they all realize that they can do something when they put their minds to it. And that to me is just uh a really cool tool just to use in life, right? So being able to um being being being able to have confidence in yourself is a pretty amazing trait to uh to be able to work in the trade.
SPEAKER_03So absolutely.
SPEAKER_01So Logan, how long have you been competing at this?
SPEAKER_02Uh so I my first competition was in grade 11, so that would have been one of those virtual ones. Um so I've been doing this, that would make this five years now.
SPEAKER_03Wow. That's a commitment.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, yeah, I know what it uh turned out good for me, so I figured I should keep doing it.
SPEAKER_03So Logan, looking ahead, after you win gold at worlds, what are you gonna do? Well, if I won golds at worlds, I don't know, man. I might just go on a vacation, you know. I don't know, that'd be pretty cool, but get back to it, man. Like I don't know, not much else to say, really.
SPEAKER_02It's well you'd uh you'd thank all all the people that helped you get there for starters. You know, Paul and Dave for sure, they're the they're the they're the big ones that helped me get through it, but you know, everybody behind the scenes, you know, Dean of the College, the college itself, everybody, the sponsors, you know, the Skills Canada people. Like there are so many people that have their hands all over
Life Skills, Gratitude, And Advice
SPEAKER_02this competition and helping everybody get through it and to it. And first thing I you gotta do is thank everybody for the help because obviously there's no way you're doing this as a one-man show. So yeah, that's that's the biggest thing right there is appreciating what it takes to get you there.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, because it takes a team, it takes a huge support system to make this happen. Absolutely, yes. And then right after that, you're gonna get right back to swinging hammers and building houses.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, we're we got a pretty pretty busy summer ahead of us, so in between training, we're gonna be going hard there.
SPEAKER_03So awesome.
SPEAKER_01So before we wrap up here, guys, is there a final thought or a story you want to leave us with or a piece of advice that you have for the the next generation out there?
SPEAKER_00Sure, I'll I'll start this, Logan. Uh so so just you know, for anybody that that feels the need to challenge themselves, uh, is unsure of what their capabilities are, skills is a great platform for that. Um, you know, there's a lot of great people behind the scenes that are willing to put their time forward to try to help these people uh achieve higher goals in life. And so if you are somebody, and we'll use that term, a goal getter, uh, that wants to achieve uh you know higher levels in your trade, then skills is a great platform to do that. So uh skills is something you're you're interested in, but you're you know you're unsure if you have the ability to do it, take the jump, give it a shot. Because you never know unless you put your foot forward and and you might surprise yourself on on your abilities and uh and what you can achieve.
SPEAKER_03So and I was sort of gonna say something along the lines of what Paul did there.
SPEAKER_02If you ever get the opportunity to participate in skills, I really hope you say yes, because you know, me my first time, you know, I'll do this virtual competition, you know, whatever. But you know, I really enjoyed it and I went back a second time, and it turned out great, and you know, a few years down the road here we are, you know. So give it a try, and you're not gonna regret it, is the biggest thing. You'll nothing else, you'll learn something and you'll have a good time.
SPEAKER_03So that's the biggest thing for me is don't pass it up. Right on.
SPEAKER_01Well, thank you very much for tuning in to the CWB Association Welding Podcast and our special series with collaboration, uh, sorry, in collaboration with Skills Competence Canada. Uh, we wish Team Canada all the best, and we'll be cheering you guys on. And Logan, good luck. You're gonna get gold, man. Thank you. Appreciate it.