He is only 19 years old, but the original Baie-Comois, Benjamin Lavoie, has already found his passion and his calling: carpentry. The wood will even take him to Europe to represent Canada in a world competition. He also wants to inspire young people who, like him, don’t feel like they belong at school.

Benjamin Lavoie was still studying carpentry in Rimouski and stood out at the Canadian Trades and Technologies Olympiad in Winnipeg in May.

There he won the silver medal in carpentry and qualified to be part of the Canadian team that will compete in the World Skills and Technology Olympics in Lyon, France. This competition, also called the World Careers Competition, will take place in September 2024.

Follow your passion

The most important thing for Nord-Côtier is to inspire the younger ones, who are often discouraged by school. “I wasn’t someone who was interested in school, I was a craftsman,” Benjamin mentions. Without facing difficulties, mainstream school simply wasn’t the right place for the young Baie-Comois.

After graduating from high school, the latter even worked at the Ébénisterie Jimmy company in Baie-Comeau. He then found a course specializing in carpentry at the Rimouski-Neigette vocational training center.

“We need to promote DEPs and job training. […] “These are jobs that are more easily accessible,” he continues.

That’s why he wants to reach out to young people like him to encourage them to consider all possible careers: “I know a lot of young people who don’t know what to do […] and who don’t want to do three years of CEGEP without knowing what to do. »

“I take this opportunity to talk about the World Cup, but above all I want to take the opportunity today to tell young people not to give up,” says the young man.

Trade conflicts

The Quebec, Canadian and World Trade and Technology Olympiads bring together young people from all DEP and vocational training professions to compete.

“Everyone in their profession is given plans to prepare. This can be in hairdressing, aesthetics or, like me, in carpentry,” explains Benjamin Lavoie. “It was my teacher who told me about the competition. Since no one really knows, I wasn’t that aware,” says the student.

“It is a big effort from my teachers and myself, but it is very rewarding,” he emphasizes. In addition to his regular classes, he trains about 20 hours a week. “We don’t stop, we practice a lot,” he says, adding that it allows him to practice his carpentry techniques.

In Winnipeg, he was the only Quebecer in his category to beat 12 other Canadian participants and received a medal for building a cabinet. He also won the Quebec competition. The latter says he is looking forward to going to the World Cup in Lyon, where the furniture will be “more complicated”.

No negative points

Benjamin Lavoie is enthusiastic about the “craftsmanship and creativity” that carpentry offers him. This is what motivates the young person the most, who sees neither a boring task nor a negative meaning in it. The competition also appeals to him: “It is an accelerator in the development of our talents.” » “It’s crazy, and not just in competition, but in our entire lives.” We are becoming more structured, faster, more detailed. “We grow up quickly,” he says.