Canada’s largest skilled trades competition underway in Waterloo
Posted May 5, 2014 11:31:36 AM.
This article is more than 5 years old.
Thousands of students from across the province have converged on RIM Park in Waterloo for the 25th annual Ontario Technological Skills Competition.
The three-day event that starts today is designed to encourage young people to consider careers in the skilled trades.
Lisa Olsen of Skills Canada-Ontario, tells 570 News students are vying for a chance to take their expertise to the next level. “They have the opportunity to actually win medals – gold, silver and bronze medals and monetary awards, and from there they actually also have the opportunity to head to the National Competition in June.”
Those that make it to the national event will have a shot at advancing to the World Skills Competition in Brazil next year.
Olsen says there’s a skills shortage in Ontario. “There are so many skilled trades people retiring in the next ten years; there hasn’t been that many young people going into the skilled trades to replace those people, so there is a gap there.”
Olsen says there are more than 60 different contests at the competition across a number of sectors, including automotive, service, manufacturing, construction and technology. “The secondary and post-secondary students actually take part in the competition. They take part in challenges such as welding, to graphic design to hairstyling.”
The competition is open to the public at no charge.
