Skill Bits
The seasonal newsletter from Skills Canada Newfoundland and Labrador
S PRI N G 20 13
Team NL takes home eleven medals at
Skills Canada National Competition
Team NL National Medalists
Daniel Rees accepting his Gold Medal at
the Skills Canada National Competition
On June 4th, 2013, Team
Newfoundland and Labrador set out
to travel across the country to
compete in the 19th Annual Skills
Canada National Competition in
Vancouver, British Columbia. It was
quite an experience as over five
hundred competitors from across all
Canadian provinces and territories
competed in the largest trade and
technology competition in the
entire country. The competitions
occurred on June 6th and 7th at BC
Place, a sports arena in
Vancouver, with the opening and
closing ceremonies taking place one
day before and one day after the
competitions. Forty-eight members
formed Team Newfoundland and
Labrador as they competed in more
than forty competition areas at
this pan– Canadian celebration of
excellence in trade, technology and
employability skill areas.
“Skills Canada NL is proud to be a
leader of the Skills Movement and
provide young skilled trades
people and technologists with an
opportunity to showcase
excellence in their fields,” said
Skills Canada Newfoundland and
Labrador Executive Director,
Carole Ann Ryan. “Team
Newfoundland and Labrador
showed Canada the strength of
training in our province and
proudly brought home eleven
medals.”
Congratulations, Team NL!
We are so proud of you!
Our National Medalists 2013
INSIDE THIS ISSUE
Skills Canada
National
Competition
Page 1
Skills Work for
Women®
Conferences
Page 2
Annual Skilled
Career Day
Page 3
Jessie Meyer (College of the North Atlantic Prince Philip Drive)- Gold, Graphic Design
Emily Butler (Queen Elizabeth Regional High School)- Gold, Public Speaking
Daniel Rees (Holy Spirit High School)- Gold, Job Skill Demonstration and Best in Region Award
Brian Forward (College of the North Atlantic Prince Philip Drive)- Gold, IT Network Systems
Erica Badcock (Ascension Collegiate)- Silver, Job Interview
Michael Mercer (Easter Seals)- Silver, Abilypics Photography
Justin Willcott (College of the North Atlantic Prince Philip Drive)- Bronze, Website Development
David Stacey (College of the North Atlantic Ridge Road)- Bronze, Electronics
Greg Martin (College of the North Atlantic Ridge Road)- Bronze, Architectural and Design
Courtney Samms (Woodford Training Cenrtre)- Bronze, Aesthetics
Emma Power (Queen Elizabeth Regional High School)- Bronze, Graphic Design
Special Thanks
Page 4
Team Newfoundland and Labrador celebrating after the Awards Ceremony
PAGE
2
Skills Work for Women® Conference in Burin
On May 22nd, Skills Canada
NL hosted a Skills Work for
Women® Conference at the
College of the North Atlantic
Burin Campus for female
intermediate and
secondary students within the
area. The conference was quite
a success as students were able
to participate in hands-on
Try-A-Trade® demonstrations
and talk to female mentors
who are currently employed in
non-traditional roles. In the
Try-A-Trade®
demonstrations, participants
explored the welding, sheet
metal and metal fabrication
trades and were able to handle
tools and test their abilities on
a sample project.
For many of these female
students, this was the very first
time that they handled these
type of tools and equipment.
And the best part– they each
took home a project that they
created! What a great
souvenir!
After spending the entire
morning in the shops,
participants later spoke with
female mentors who revealed
why they chose their career
and the challenges and
successes they have
experienced at work. In total,
twelve mentors answered
questions and shared their
experiences about working in
male-dominated workplaces.
SWFW Participants participating in the sheet
metal Try-A-Trade® demonstration
SWFW Participants outside
College of the North Atlantic Burin Campus
Skills Canada NL and FMC Technologies partner to host
Skills Work for Women® Conference
SWFW Participants inside the
FMC Technologies workshop
Participants enjoying a fantastic
female mentoring session
Skills Canada NL was proud to
partner with FMC
Technologies to host a Skills
Work for Women®
Conference at FMC
Technologies, a leading global
provider of technology solutions
within the energy industry, in
Donovan’s Industrial Park in
Mount Pearl. On May 24th,
female intermediate students from
Holy Cross Junior High had the
opportunity to explore the state-of
-the-art facility and talk to female
mentors about careers in maledominated workplaces. The mentors, who are currently
employed by FMC Technologies
as Petroleum and Safety Engineer
Technologists, did a fabulous job
explaining why their chose their
career path, the challenges they
After the mentoring session,
participants were able to explore the 30,000 square foot
high bay and workshop space,
the subsea controls module
clean room and test pit. It was
quite the learning experience!
Skills Canada NL’s Skills
Work for Women®
Conferences have received
glowing reviews since their
inception in 2001. By
showing young females
employment areas that they
may not have otherwise
considered, Skills Canada NL
is inspiring skilled workers
and ensuring Canada’s
continued economic
prosperity.
“This program really gave me a better idea
and understanding of what I want to do in the
future.” -SWFW Participant
SKILL
BITS
PAGE
3
Annual Skilled Career Day featuring the
16th Provincial Competitions
Courtney Samms, Aesthetics Competitor at both
the Provincial and National Competition
On April 12th, 2013, Skills Canada
Newfoundland and Labrador hosted
the Annual Skilled Career Day in
conjunction with the 16th Annual
Provincial Competitions at College
of the North Atlantic– Prince Philip
Drive Campus. This day is
dedicated to celebrating the work of
young skilled trades-people and
technologists and highlighting the
array of rewarding career
opportunities available in these
fields. With over 200 competitors,
over 100 volunteers and nearly 250
visiting students touring
competition sites, Annual Skilled
Career Day is Skills Canada NL’s
largest event of the year!
Attractions of this year’s instalment
included nine different Try-A-Trades®
demonstrations, a career showcase,
guided tours of the school, a youth
leadership conference, teacher’s
reception, a Skills Work for Women®
Conference, partnership
luncheon and so much more! Most
prominent throughout the day,
however, were the Skills Canada
Provincial Competitions, from which the
Gold medal winners formed Team
Newfoundland and Labrador 2013 and
competed in the Skills Canada
National Competition in early June.
Some of the Gold Medal Provincial Winners.
Meet Team Newfoundland and Labrador 2013
Gold Medal Provincial Winners– Team NL
Baking (Post– Secondary)
Megan Cochrane– C.N.A. Seal Cove
Car Painting
Brian Butler– C.N.A. Prince Philip Drive
3D Computer Animation
Michelle Crowley-Hearn and Maggie Mackinnon–
Prince of Wales Collegiate
Culinary Arts (Secondary)
Justin Butler– Queen Elizabeth Regional High
Robotics
Michael Budgell, Jaden Diamond, Christina
Michelin, Tyler Mills– Botwood Collegiate
2D Computer Animation
Jessie Downey and Hilary Pauls– Ascension Collegiate
Culinary Arts (Post– Secondary)
Brittany Piercey– C.N.A. Prince Philip Drive
Hairstyling
Kimberlee Golder– C.N.A. Bay St. George
Aesthetics
Courtney Samms– Woodford Traing Centre
Industrial Mechanic Millwright
Tim Budgell– Carpenters Millwrights College
Architectural Technology & Design
Greg Martin– C.N.A. Ridge Road
Carpentry
Jeff Barker– Carpenters Millwrights College
Steamfitter/Pipefitter
David Hurley– UA Local 740 Training Centre
Welding
Robin Eddy– C.N.A. Prince Philip Drive
Mechanical CADD
Matthew Fudge– C.N.A. Prince Philip Drive
Graphic Design (Secondary)
Emma Power– Queen Elizabeth Region High
Graphic Design (Post-Secondary)
Jessie Meyer– C.N.A. Prince Philip Drive
TV/Video Production
Devin Sooley and Raylene Mackey– St. Kevin’s
High
Electronics
David Stacey– C.N.A. Ridge Road
IT Network Systems Administration (Secondary)
Brandon Trzeciak– Carbonear Collegiate
Plumbing
Curtis Jackson– UA Local 740 Training Centre
IT Network Systems Administration
(Post-Secondary)
Cabinet Making
Brian Forward– C.N.A. Prince Philip Drive
Boyd Auchinleck– C.N.A. Port Aux Basques
Mechatronics
Jason Fong and Nathan Stone– C.N.A. Ridge Road
Job Search
Erica Badcock– Ascension Collegiate
Public Speaking
Emily Butler– Queen Elizabeth Regional High
Job Skill Demonstration
Daniel Rees– Holy Spirit High School
Work Place Safety
Robyn Follett– EG Lambert All Grade
Heavy Equipment Service Technician
Cory Norman– C.N.A. Happy Valley– Goose Bay
Electrical Installations
Stephen Leamon– C.N.A. Seal Cove
Sheet Metal
Jonathan Kelly– C.N.A. Burin
Print Media Technology
Adam Roberts– C.N.A. Prince Philip Drive
Automotive Service
Evan Cox– C.N.A. Prince Philip Drive
IT Software Solutions for Business (Secondary)
Jared Petten– Ascension Collegiate
Precision Machining
Gavin Diamond– C.N.A. Placentia
Autobody Repair
Cody Alyward– C.N.A. Prince Philip Drive
IT Software Solutions for Business
(Post-Secondary)
Chantille Prince– Stagg– C.N.A. Bonavista
Website Development
Justin Willcott– C.N.A. Prince Philip Drive
Abilympics Photography
Michael Mercer– Easter Seals
SKILL
BITS
Refrigeration/ Air Conditioning
Nicola Ryan– C.N.A. Ridge Road
PAGE
Thank You
Students, teachers, school liaisons, technical committee members,
volunteers, mentors, partners, judges, trade demonstrators…
Skills Canada Newfoundland and Labrador would
like to thank you for all your dedication and
support for our programming.
Without you, our achievements would not be possible.
HAVE A GREAT SUMMER!
Carole Ann Ryan
Executive Director
newfoundland@skillscanada.com
Deanne Oliver
Project Manager - Logistics & Equity
deanneo@skillscanada.com
Jess Baldwin
Communications & Partnerships Coordinator
jessicab@skillscanada.com
Brad Kelly
Program Coordinator
bradk@skillscanada.com
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SkillsCanadaNL
Skills Canada NL
75 Barbour Drive (2nd Floor)
Mount Pearl, NL
A1N 2X3
www.skillscanada-nfld.com
Phone: (709) 739-4172
Fax: (709) 739-4198
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