August 31, 2018 – Ideal Industries, which manufactures tools and products for the electrical industry, has extended the qualifying round for its 2018 National Championship to Oct. 19, to better allow colleges and trade schools to take part in what it calls “the most thrilling competition in the electrical industry.”

In the ‘Nationals,’ competitors must race against the clock to complete a wiring challenge using Ideal tools. To date, the company has held 175 qualifying events at schools, in union halls, through distributor branches and directly with electrical contractors, all across Canada.

“Our students still talk about how challenging and fun it was,” says Gregg Otte, an instructor at The Centre for Skills Development and Training in Burlington, Ont. “As a learning tool, I was able to relate the breakneck speed and organization required to successfully get a decent time to a more normal productive speed, implying there is a happy medium.”

At the end of the qualifying round, the fastest competitors–including up to five electrical students or apprentices–will be invited to a Championship Weekend in Orland, Fla., where they will put their skills to the test in four more rounds, vying for the top student prize of US$30,000. In addition, Ideal will donate US$5,000 to the winner’s trade school.

Educators interested in scheduling a qualifying event at their school should contact Ideal marketing manager Erin Hawley via email at erin.hawley@idealindustries.com.