CORNWALL, Ontario – Local students got the chance to showcase their skills at the 8th Annual Eastern Ontario Secondary School Skills Competition. The event took place at St. Lawrence College (SLC) this Tuesday, Feb. 28, featuring competition in trades such as Carpentry, Welding, Hairstyling, and Photography to name a few.
With students from the Upper Canada District School Board, Catholic District School Board of Eastern Ontario, and the Conseil des écoles publiques de l’Est de l’Ontario, competitors got the opportunity to put their skills and creativity to the test in some fun, trade-specific competitions.
Mark MacDonnell is the coordinator of trades with SLC Cornwall, and says that the event tends to draw in students who may not have otherwise considered pursuing a trade.
“The idea is to get high school students in so they can develop skills in trades,” said MacDonnell. “We’re here to show them all the possibilities that trades can offer, and hopefully, they decide to come back and take up a trade.”
In individual carpentry groups, participants were tasked either with building a wishing well or a bathroom cabinet, with teams of two building a boot bench, and teams of three and four building a shed. In the automotive department, students were required to troubleshoot issues, as well as balance tires on a vehicle, with the small engine group stripping down an engine and later reassembling it.
“Some of the kids who are here really want to pursue this post-secondary, and you can tell by the experience they already have,” said MacDonnell. “Some others are just being introduced to it, and afterwards, they say ‘hey, that was fun – I think I want to do this for a living.’ It’s a good eye-opener for the ones who maybe hadn’t considered a trade before now.”
