Skills Canada
Skills Canada (French: Compétences Canada) is a Canadian non-profit organization dedicated to the promotion of careers in technology and skilled trades. One of their major activities is the presentation of the annual Skills Canada National Competition. This is an Olympic-style competition which actively promotes careers in the technology and trades fields. Each Canadian province and territory has its own chapter of Skills Canada and they hold qualifying provincial competitions in their respective areas to determine their provincial and territorial candidates who will participate at the annual Canadian event. Competitors are of high-school or post-secondary age. The purpose of Skills Canada is to open the eyes of young people to the world of skilled trades. Canada is experiencing a shortage of skilled labourers, and Skills Canada hopes to fill in that gap. The baby boom generation has reached retirement age and the country is having difficulty retaining workers, adding to the shortage. Competitions are held at the provincial and territorial levels, with the best competitors from each province reaching the national event. Biannually, the top competitors in the country are invited to the WorldSkills competition.
Competition areas
Areas of competition at the annual Skills Canada National Competition are divided into six sectors. These sectors and competitions are:
Construction Sector
- Electrical Wiring
- Architectural Technology & Design
- Brick Masonry
- Cabinet making
- Carpentry
- Automation & Control
- Landscape gardening
- Plumbing
- Refrigeration
- Sheet metal work
- Welding
Employment Sector
- Job interview
- Job skill demonstration
- Public Speaking (Formerly Prepared Speech)
- Workplace safety
IT Sector
- 2D & 3D Computer Animation
- Electronics
- Graphic Design
- Web Site Development
- IT & Network Support
- IT Software Solutions for Business
- TV & Video production
Manufacturing Sector
- CNC machining
- Industrial mechanics millwright
- Mechanical Computer-aided design
- Architectural Technology & Design
- Mechatronics
- Precision Machining
- Robotics
- Offset Printing
Services Sector
- Baking
- Cooking
- Hairstyling
- Aesthetics
- Fashion Technology
Transportation Sector
- Aircraft maintenance
- Automotive repair
- Autobody Repair
- Car Painting
- Heavy equipment service
- Outdoor power and recreation equipment
Competitions
To date, twenty competitions have been held:
| Event | City | Province | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20 | Toronto | Ontario | 2014 |
| 19 | Vancouver | British Columbia | 2013 |
| 18 | Edmonton | Alberta | 2012 |
| 17 | Quebec City | Quebec | 2011 |
| 16 | Waterloo | Ontario | 2010 |
| 15 | Charlottetown | Prince Edward Island | 2009 |
| 14 | Calgary | Alberta | 2008 |
| 13 | Saskatoon | Saskatchewan | 2007 |
| 12 | Halifax | Nova Scotia | 2006 |
| 11 | Edmonton | Alberta | 2005 |
| 10 | Winnipeg | Manitoba | 2004 |
| 9 | Kitchener | Ontario | 2003 |
| 8 | Vancouver | British Columbia | 2002 |
| 7 | Edmonton | Alberta | 2001 |
| 6 | Quebec City | Quebec | 2000 |
| 5 | Kitchener | Ontario | 1999 |
| 4 | Vancouver | British Columbia | 1998 |
| 3 | Red Deer | Alberta | 1997 |
| 2 | Montreal | Quebec | 1996 |
| 1 | Hamilton | Ontario | 1995 |