2,300 Students Attend Skills Ontario’s Annual Competition

 May 17, 2017

Earlier this month 2,300 elementary, high school and college students competed in 68 skilled trades and technologies contests as part of Skills Ontario’s annual Skilled Trades Competition. Many contests were in the construction trades including electrical, carpentry and masonry.

Students competed for gold, silver, and bronze medals, with winners sharing $68,000 in awards as well as job offers from partnered organizations. Medalists at the Ontario competition will now compete at the Canadian Skills Competition.

The event took place at the Toronto Congress Centre for the first time. The centre offered a 500,000 square foot field of competition.

Win or lose, says Skills Ontario, the lives of many young competitors and visitors have been positively changed forever — from gaining new self-confidence by pushing their skills to a higher level, to winning a medal, or simply meeting a new mentor and discovering new career opportunities that they didn’t know existed.

“Those who compete at the Skills Ontario Competition are the future of skilled trades and technologies in Ontario,” says Gail Smyth, Executive Director for Skills Ontario. “Skills Ontario is able to help prepare Ontario’s youth for a highly-skilled workforce of tomorrow through such initiatives as the Skills Ontario Competition.”

In addition to contests, the Skills Ontario Competition comprised a number of components, including:

• Career Exploration Showcase, an interactive career fair in the heart of the competition. Over 70 businesses, colleges, apprenticeship programs, unions and government programs set up booths, hand out items and provide activities related to the skilled trades and technologies

• Young Women’s Conference, offering young women a chance to explore careers in the skilled trades and technologies by participating in hands-on activities and speaking with mentors

• First Nations, Métis, and Inuit (FNMI) Student Conference, providing FNMI students and other stakeholders with an opportunity to celebrate the success and skill of FNMI youth in Ontario

Skilled trade and technology professionals proffered advice, guidance and inspiration to conference participants Skills Ontario enables and empowers all youth to consider a career in the skilled trades and technologies.