Christler Enabe already had a degree in Civil Engineering when he applied for the two-year Architectural Technology diploma program at Holland College. He knew the college could help him achieve his career aspirations, but he had no idea that the program would land him top spot on the podium at the national Skills Canada competition.

“Architecture was my first choice, but the demand for civil engineers back then was high, and so I studied civil engineering instead,” he said.

After working in the civil engineering field for two years, the 28-year-old Pilipino decided to find a program that was related to architecture, which led him to Holland College.

“I researched all the schools, specifically in Canada, that offer architectural technology and decided to enroll at Holland College. Not only did the college offer the courses I've always wanted to learn (such as Revit), but the Architectural Technology program is nationally accredited at the technologist level,” he said.

“There are a lot of things I liked about the program,” he recalled, “But the best thing for me would be the fact that we got a huge amount of hours to do our project in the CAD Lab. I like this the most because I believe we learn best when we apply in our drawings all the theories we studied in the classroom.”

When he heard about the Skills Canada PEI provincial competitions taking place in March, he was interested in competing.  Skills competitions are held in 38 categories of trades and technologies for high school, post-secondary and apprentice students. The provincial competition serves as the selection process for the national competition held each year. 

At the national Skills Canada event, the Architectural Technology and Design Competition is designed to evaluate the participants’ ability to interpret project requirements and prepare a set of architectural working drawings using computer aided design software, and to recognize outstanding competitors for excellence and professionalism in their field.

Each competitor in Christler’s category was challenged on their knowledge of architectural and sustainable design principles, as well as building codes, engineering principles, building science, and constructability.

Christler placed first in the provincial Skills Competition, guaranteeing him a spot representing the Island in the Nationals, which were held in Quebec City in May.

He said that in many ways, the curriculum of the Architectural Technology program served as training for the competition.

“Every theory and lesson I learned in the classroom has been a vital part.  I had about 30 hours of training with my instructor, Bruceyene Collins, in the two weeks before the competition. And even with this limited time of training because of conflicting schedules, I was confident that I'm ready for the nationals because of all the things I've learned within a span of two years in the program and all those hours of drawings in CAD Lab.

His hard work paid off with a gold medal, no small feat for a competitor from the Island.

Tawna MacLeod, Executive Director of Skills Canada PEI said Christler’s success was even more remarkable because of the relative levels of competitive experience participants had.

“It’s wonderful to see students like Christler Enabe on the podium at the national level. We’re a small province – often students from Team PEI are pitting their knowledge and skills against students from across the country who have completed local, regional and provincial competitions in their home provinces. So it’s a testament to the level of Christler’s training, knowledge and commitment to his field that he walked away with a gold medal from the Skills Canada National Competition,” she said.

Now that he’s graduated, Christler is exactly where he wants to be – working in a mechanical engineering firm.

“I'm currently working as a mechanical technician, using AutoCAD and Revit Software, and I've never felt more professionally fulfilled. I have in my mind to pursue a degree in Architecture in the next year or so. It is not 100 percent certain that I'll do this, but I know I have the full support from my parents, friends, and instructors and I am forever grateful for these people in my life,” he said.