Canadore renews partnership with Skills Canada – Ontario

Canadore College
News Release

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Canadore College President Barbara Taylor is pleased to renew a partnership with Skills Canada – Ontario , a provincial not-for-profit organization that promotes skilled trades and technologies as first choice career options to Ontario youth. Students will use Canadore College facilities to advance their abilities in the skilled trades on April 14th, 2007.

“The skilled trades sector is vital to our economy. Helping to promote these competitions and events, that showcase the trades and encourage youth to showcase their talents and participate in one of these dynamic fields, is beneficial on a local and national level,” President Taylor said.

The Qualifying Competitions are offered in six areas of the province in partnership with Ontario colleges in preparation for the Ontario Technological Skills Competition to be held later this month in Waterloo . Currently, the following six contests are offered at each Qualifying Competition location: Carpentry-Individual, Small Powered Equipment, TV and Video Production, Welding, Culinary Arts and Internet-Web Page Design.

The scopes, projects, judging criteria and score sheets for each contest will be created by Qualifying Technical Committees (QTC) consisting of one representative from each qualifying area (college) and the OTSC contest Technical Committee Chair. These documents will be used in all six Qualifying Competitions contests to maintain consistency in competitor selection across the province. The first, second and possibly third place competitor in each contest from each location will advance to the OTSC, as long as a minimum score of 60% has been achieved at the Qualifying Competition.

“It’s a case of common goals: Skills Canada – Ontario promotes careers in skilled trades and technologies to students, while our Canadore College provides the training,” Skills Canada - Ontario ’s Executive Director Gail Smyth said. “Taken together, we hope these opportunities will encourage young people to consider a career in skilled trades, and allow youth to pursue skills training opportunities in their communities.”

Smyth noted that this is an excellent example of what can happen when the not-for-profit sector and our educational institutions come together. “This continued partnership will directly impact the career choices of youth in Ontario . Skills Canada – Ontario has implemented the Qualifying Competitions for youth to explore their career options in a supportive and informative way.”

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