IDEAL Canada Wraps up Eighth Season of Battle of the Schools
This year, IDEAL Canada is celebrating 60 years of manufacturing in Canada. In the spirit of celebration, the company has given apprentices across the country another chance to show off their talents and celebrate their skills as burgeoning electricians with the Battle of the Schools.
IDEAL awarded over $25,000 in cash in prizes to apprentices and Canadian trade schools, in their continued support of the electrical industry’s next generation. In addition to the Battle of the Schools, held under the theme of “Wiring Better Futures”, IDEAL is also a big supporter of the Tools in the Trades Bootcamp, which offers young people an avenue into the trades by providing training, tools, and networking opportunities.
2023 marked the eighth season of its “highly charged” Battle of the Schools competition open to all electrical apprentices. The event took place this year between March 20th and October 27th, with over 50 events held at Canadian trade schools, IBEW and EJTC Training Centres. The competition centres around a wiring board that apprentices must complete successfully with the fastest time.
Over 600 student apprentices competed in the challenge this year, resulting in six regional winners including a National IBEW Champion and a National Trade School Champion.
Daniel Ford of EJTC IBEW 213 (BC) took home the National IBEW title and Nathan Chapman from Medicine Hat College (AB) took home the Trade School title.
They were each awarded $2,000 in scholarships and a custom IDEAL Muskoka chair. Each of the regional winners were awarded $1,000 in scholarships and a custom IDEAL Muskoka chair. On top of that, the schools of the respective winners each received over $2,500 worth of IDEAL tools and supplies.
Congratulations to all the winners!
| Daniel Ford | Electrical Joint Training Committee, IBEW 213 | BC |
| Nathan Chapman | Medicine Hat College | AB |
| Derek Lamy | Assiniboine Community College | MB/SK |
| Biagio Iannantuono | IBEW 804 Breslau | ON |
| Lorenzo Losciuto | Aviron | QC |
| Arezki Takherboucht | CCNB Dieppe | Atlantic |
