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Skills Canada National Competition goes virtual BY OLIVIA LAWRENCE
Although Skills/Compétences Canada and its provincial/territorial member organizations are known for the provincial and national competitions they host every year to allow aspiring individuals to compete in a variety of skilled trade and technology occupations, this year will see a significant change in the way these competitions are administered. “In a normal year participants would compete at a large institution or venue, but this year participants will compete from their school, training institution, workplace, or simply their homes,” said Shaun Thorson, CEO of Skills/Compétences Canada. Skills Canada promotes skilled trade and technology occupations through hands-on interactive activities, education, skill development, and career opportunities. The organization helps promote the trades and ensures students are aware of the career options and apprenticeship system in the trades and technologies. “It also strives to develop skills in the trades. Whether an individual has no experience or wants to enhance their skills further, Skills Canada’s goal is to develop individuals’ knowledge and educate them,” said Thorson. With the opportunities and advantages the competition provides, Skills/Compétences Canada felt it was necessary to host its competitions online this year despite the challenges. The organization invites secondary students, postsecondary students and apprenticeship level workers to register. The competition offers categories in traditional trades including transportation, construction, manufacturing and engineering, services, information technology and employment. These categories are also focused on the nine Essential Skills including reading text, writing, document use, thinking, numeracy, oral communication, working with others, continuous learning and digital. Skills Canada wants to offer competition areas that go beyond just the job skills, and look into other important aspects that apply to almost any job. The events will require joining an on-line platform, like Zoom, for an orientation, followed by a specified time-line to complete and submit their projects. Some of the finalized projects will be shipped to certain locations where they will be analyzed and evaluated by industry judges. Other events require live webcam streaming and virtual judging. This ensures transparency and that projects are completed within the given time parameters. Skills Canada Saskatchewan’s provincial competition will be held from April 12 to 16, 2021. This competition operates on a first-come, first-serve registration system, and is limited to one competitor from each school or workplace in each event. Competitors work closely with a skilled educator – teachers from high schools and post-secondary institutions, trade union professionals, and business owners who advise and coach to get them ready for the competition. During the competition, competitors have an opportunity to engage and learn from industry professionals and post-secondary educators. “Saskatchewan’s competition will offer 37 different trade and technology event categories. This includes a wide range of events from welding, carpentry, hairstyling, and bricklaying to graphic design, coding and robotics. These particular occupations are ones you would not normally THIS SECTION WAS CREATED BY CONTENT WORKS, POSTMEDIA’S COMMERCIAL CONTENT DIVISION.
Student visitors participate in a Try-A-Trade and Technology activity hosted by UA Canada. PH O T O S CO U RT ESY O F SKIL L S/CO M PÉT ENCES CANADA
Welding competitor at the 2019 Skills Canada national competition in Halifax.
think could be done virtually but we have found a way. Our in-person competition usually hosts 42 event categories. The number of events offered this year demonstrates the dedication of our amazing volunteers and partners,” said Colin Phippard, executive director of Skills Canada Saskatchewan. On Friday May 7, 2021, the public may participate in Saskatchewan’s virtual Career Fair and Conference. It will showcase the Provincial Skills Virtual Competition “live” and the awards ceremony hosted by Saskatoon’s on-air personality Jeff Rogstad. The “In-Class Skills Challenge” winners will also be announced. This virtual conference will include an opportunity to learn about career
and education paths in skilled trades and technologies. Numerous industry and education partners from across Saskatchewan will have a virtual display booth with interactive functions including chat. A virtual auditorium will feature presentations and Trade and Tech chats with industry experts. Students may also take part in a fun scavenger hunt, answering questions about our partners and earning points for their school for a chance to win a prize pack. See Skills Canada Saskatchewan’s social media channels and website for more details. Provincial Gold medal winners will be announced at the virtual conference on May 7 and will be in-
Autobody repair competitor at the 2019 Skills Canada national competition in Halifax.
vited to form Team Saskatchewan. Winners from each event at the provincial level are invited to compete at the Skills Canada Virtual National Competition in June 2021. This competition will offer 37 Skill Areas with viewing, awards, and career-related content available online in June. The skills competition has significantly evolved over the years. It was originally focused on the competitors, but now the organization has turned its attention to the visitor experience as well. Skills Canada is targeting attendees who may have never considered a skilled trade or technology occupation, or simply do not have the knowledge or materials to try it themselves. “We introduced a component called Try-A-Trade® and Technology activities so attendees at the competition can try a skill. It gives individuals the opportunity to try several activities such as welding, colouring someone’s hair, baking a cake or building a brick wall. Putting
materials and tools in people’s hands is something I believe is going to stay with you a lot longer,” explained Thorson. Skills Canada is always searching for the best of the best in skilled trades and technologies and believes offering the competition this year provides an air of normality during unusual circumstances. “During the pandemic we have really become aware that the people who work within the trade and technology sectors make up a large portion of our essential workers,” said Phippard. “ It’s important to recognize and celebrate these industries because they play such an important role in our economy. These competitions celebrate and acknowledge the people working in these sectors, while educating and raising awareness of the opportunities available.” For more information on Skills/ Compétences Canada and the Skills Canada Virtual National Competition, visit www.skillscompetencescanada.com.
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Indigenous Apprenticeship Initiative Program currently accepting proposals
Dayna Georges admits it hasn’t always been easy being one of the only women in the shop, but the Heavy Duty Equipment Technician and mother of two says her work gives her a great feeling of accomplishment. S U PPL IED PH O T O
Heavy Duty Equipment Technician Dayna Georges loves her work Dayna Georges was born and raised in Pinehouse, Saskatchewan. She’s a Métis journeyperson Heavy Duty Equipment Technician and mother of two. She knew early on that she wanted to work with heavy equipment and pursue a career in the skilled trades. “My dad works for the Town of Pinehouse Lake,” Georges said. “He operated the grader for a while, and is the Fire Chief and Water Plant Operator. Sometimes he had to pick me up from elementary school in the grader. So cool! Right then and there, I wasn’t interested in operating it; I was fascinated in fixing it!” “I would spend time with him in our yard, and I just loved working with my hands. He’d let me do little things here and there, and by the time Grade 9 rolled around, I was full-blown researching how to fix all kinds of stuff – tanks, trucks and all kinds of big equipment – and I knew that is what I wanted to do with my life.” Although she knew she wanted to pursue a career as a Heavy Duty Equipment Technician, Georges battled some misconceptions. She worried that the machinery parts would be too heavy for her to lift. She also knew she wouldn’t have many female colleagues. “Fortunately, I’m a go getter and that never stopped me,” she said. “I rolled up my sleeves and decided to enter the trade anyway.” Following high school, she enrolled in a pre-employment course at Gabriel Dumont Institute in Prince Albert. She discovered there are “tools for everything” and you can always ask for help. The class often visited the Ministry of Highways’ repair shop. When she saw all of the equipment, she knew it was the kind of shop she wanted to work in. For the next two years, Georges searched for the right job. She started off working on trailers, then tried boats, quads and snowmobiles. She didn’t enjoy it. She knew she wanted to work on big machines –
The Saskatchewan Apprenticeship and Trade Certification Commission (SATCC) oversees and administers the Indigenous Apprenticeship Initiative (IAI) program, which is currently accepting funding proposals for 2021-22 until May 28, 2021. The program funds initiatives that support Indigenous people interested in pursuing careers in the skilled trades. Past funded projects include apprenticeship and pre-employment training delivered within or nearby First Nation communities; job coaching and mentoring ; and exploratory courses aimed at high school students. “Projects funded through IAI promote the recruitment of Indigenous people into apprenticeship and the skilled trades,” SATCC Director of Innovation and Inclusion C hris Stubbs said. “These initiatives are unique partnerships that benefit both participants and their communities.” Applicants must describe the project, list potential employers in the area, and outline how the training will support participants’ eventual achievement of journeyperson status. All submissions are reviewed by an IAI Selection Committee comprised of representatives from industry, training providers and the SATCC. Since its inception in 2004, the SATCC has in-
This 350-square-foot tiny home project was a partnership between Parkland College, the Yorktown Tribal Council, and Cote First Nation. Students learned a variety of skills and the home was provided to a community elder. SUPPLIED PHOTO
vested nearly $7 million into 129 projects as of June 30, 2020. In a typical year, the SATCC invests approximately $400,000 into a variety of projects aimed at engaging Indigenous people in apprenticeship and the skilled trades. “One recent IAI project saw participants build a 350-square-foot tiny home,” Stubbs said. “This particular project was a partnership between Parkland College; the Yorkton Tribal Council and Cote First Nation. Students learned a variety of skills and the home was provided to a community elder.” At the end of the SATCC’s 2019-20 fiscal year, Indig-
enous apprentices made up 17.7 per cent of Saskatchewan’s apprenticeship population. According to data from the 2016 Census, 15.5 per cent of Saskatchewan’s working-age population, aged 15 to 64, self-identifies as Indigenous. “There is strong Indigenous representation within Saskatchewan’s apprenticeship system and the Indigenous Apprenticeship Initiative helps ensure this continues.” Stubbs said. Those interested in submitting a proposal for IAI can call 306-787-2439 for more information or visit saskapprenticeship.ca/indigenous-apprenticeship for a copy of the proposal.
THIS STORY WAS SUBMITTED BY THE SASKATCHEWAN APPRENTICESHIP AND TRADE CERTIFICATION COMMISSION FOR PROMOTIONAL PURPOSES.
SU PPL I ED PH O T O
like the kind she saw at the Ministry of Highways. She applied for a job with the Ministry, completed all her apprenticeship technical training levels and achieved her journeyperson certification in 2019. She works in a Ministry shop in Meadow Lake. Georges admitted it hasn’t always been easy being one of the only women in the shop. She felt intimidated; and while some of her coworkers accepted her right away, she knew others didn’t. “It wasn’t all sunshine and rainbows,” she said. “It was frustrating to have to prove myself every single day when the males didn’t have to… but my perseverance paid off, I just kept pushing myself even when I felt like giving up. In the end, I proved women can do it.” “I remember one guy in particular. He said, ‘You know, Dayna, once you get this ticket, nobody can take it away from you.’ So I kept that in my head up until the day I got my ticket, and here I am.” Georges said her current crew makes her feel like part of the team. Her bosses are supportive and want her to be the best technician she can be. She’s worked with
Highways for seven years now – and one pregnancy. She was pregnant while attending her fourth year of technical training. She went back to work in March while eight months pregnant, “with shorter arms,” she joked. She and her coworker finished the grader on a Friday. On Monday, she called her boss to let him know she wouldn’t be at work – and where to find some parts he might be looking for. She’d had the baby that morning. She said he was “shocked.” “The thing I love about my job with the Ministry of Highways is I’m home every night. I have the best of both worlds – you can be a mom and a mechanic!” said Georges. “I love getting my hands dirty, diagnosing, being able to fix things, and seeing it roll out the door. It’s like, ‘Wow, I did that!’ I take a lot of pride in what I do; it’s a great feeling. “My son thinks my job is amazing; he brags about it all the time. I want to be their greatest role model, that person they look up to. I want them to go for whatever they want to be, and don’t let the gender stop them. Anything is possible if you work hard enough.”
THIS STORY WAS SUBMITTED BY THE SASKATCHEWAN APPRENTICESHIP AND TRADE CERTIFICATION COMMISSION FOR PROMOTIONAL PURPOSES.
HANDS-ON LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES let you apply what you learn in the classroom to real-world situations. Through our campuses in Moose Jaw, Prince Albert, Regina and Saskatoon, Saskatchewan Polytechnic is contracted to provide the in-school portion of apprenticeship training for over 20 trades. A number of Sask Polytech programs can give you a head start towards apprenticeship training.
Learn more at saskpolytech.ca
Photos taken pre-COVID-19.