2014 HALTON SKILLS COMPETITION
- CABINETMAKING Thursday April 3rdth, 2014
MM Robinson High School, Burlington Ont.
Coordinators: Tara Ashley / George Muhic-Day
Schedule
Wednesday April 2nd Set-up Day
Competitors & Coaches can set-up on
4:30 -6:00
site
Thursday April 3rd Competition Day
7:30 – 8:00 Registration
8:00 – 8:30 Orientation
8:30 – 3:00 Competition
3:00 – 4:00 Final Judging
3:30 – 5:30 Dinner & Entertainment
6:00 – 7:00 Presentation of Awards
Competition Information
Purpose of the Competition
The competition is set to test the skills and knowledge of each student in the subject of
Industrial Woodworking and Cabinetmaking.
Project
Non-dimensioned project drawings will be circulated at the coaches’ meeting at 4:00 at
MM Robinson on Tuesday March 18th
The project will be a wall cabinet with decorative trim, dadoed shelves and
cornice
Skills and Knowledge to be Tested:
This is a practical competition, although competitors will prepare a bill of material as a
first step. Imperial measure will be used. Skills will be tested in the following areas:
 Ability to read shop drawings
 Preparation of a Bill of Material and ability to plan work steps
 Knowledge of basic joinery and assembly
 Demonstration of safe operation of all tools and machinery
 Ability to build a quality piece of furniture/cabinetry
 Accuracy and attention to detail
 Ability to prepare for finishing
 Job interview skills and résumé
Prior knowledge in the operation of the following machinery is required:
 Radial arm saw
 Band saw
 Table saw
 Router
 Jointer;
 Drill press
 Thickness planer;
 Power drill
 Power mitre saw
 Sanders
 Hand tools
Students must know how to:
 Rabbet and dado on either a table saw or router
 Use templates to cut decorative profiles on the sides of gables
 Cut mitres in trim
 Cut bevels with a table saw
 Assemble a bookshelf-style carcase (gables and dadoed shelves with rabbeted-in
back)
Judging
• Theory— 10% (including 5% for Job Interview)
• Practical — 90%
Job Interview
To assist competitors in fully preparing for their eventual job searches and to
become valued employees, there will be a 5 minute job interview incorporated
into this contest. It is expected that the competitors arrive prepared WITH A
RESUME and be ready for interview questions and discussion. Feedback will be
provided to the competitors in order to help prepare them for the real-life
experience of job interviews.
Each top-ranked competitors from both the Halton Public and Halton Catholic school boards will
be eligible to advance to the Ontario Skills Competition, provided their school is registered in this
event at the Provincial competition.
Equipment & Materials
Supplied by Competition Co-ordinators:
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All wood
Standard Stationary Woodworking Machines
All fasteners and glue
Decorative finial and hardware
Supplied By Competitor
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Personal Protective Equipment( safety glasses, hearing protection, dust
masks)
Cutting tools (backsaw, 3/8” ½” and ¾” chisels, utility Knife, optional
Block plane or smoothing plane)
Fastening tools (#2 Robertson screwdriver, hammer and nail set,)
Portable power tools
o Drill
o Sander[sand to 120 grit]
o Jig saw with a sharp blade
Sand paper (80, 100, 120)
25’ extension cord)
Drill/driver bits (Selection of drill bits including softwood pilot for #8
screws. #2 Robertson driver bit, Countersink bit)
Router jig for making ¼“, 3/8“ and ¾” (19mm) dados in stock that is 6”10” wide (optional)
Measuring and Layout tools (squares, pencil, marking gauge, trammel
points or callipers, pencil etc.)
Clamps (4 Bar, K-Body or F clamps, approximately 2’ long)
The Job Interview
Remember, an interview is a two-way exchange of information. The interviewer
is interested in three things:
 Can you do the job?
 Will you do the job?
 Will you fit it?
You want to know if the organization is right for you and your career goals.
Sample Job Interview Questions
Two of the following ten questions will be asked by interviewers at the
competition:
1) What are your career goals?
2) Why are you interested in the field of (name of contest)?
3) What 5 characteristics/qualities do you have that an employer is looking
for?
4) What did you do to prepare for this interview?
5) What would you do if you saw a co-worker break a policy or procedure?
6) Tell me what steps you would take to ensure a safe work environment.
7) Tell me about a time you worked with others. Was the experience
successful? Why or why not?
8) What specific skills do you have to work as a (profession of the contest
area)?
9) What is the most fulfilling project you have worked on and what did you
learn from it?
10)Tell me about a project you worked on, your role and 3 contributions you
made?
It is highly recommended that competitors be prepared to answer any of the ten
questions. There will also be two trade-related questions asked, making a total
of four questions overall.
Your Resume
Employers will scan a resume for about 30 seconds to decide whether to
consider an applicant. Some may use an automated scan in order to short list
resumes. Get your resume in the ‘for consideration’ pile.
 A resume is a "snapshot" of you and needs to be:
 Written with the employer’s interests in mind
 Professional in appearance
 Targeted for a particular job or organization
 "Letter-perfect." Spelling and grammar mistakes can mean an automatic
trip to the reject pile
 An honest and clear demonstration of your skills, abilities and
achievements
 A clear indication of what you offer to the employer