26 August 2009

Team Canada’s Great 38 Ready To Take Centre Stage

GATINEAU, Quebec, August 27, 2009

Skills/Compétences Canada , a national not-for-profit organization that actively promotes careers in skilled trades, today announced that Team Canada , also known as the "Great 38", along with trainers, industry Experts and Delegates, is making its way to Calgary this week to participate in the 40th WorldSkills Competition which takes place from September 1 to 7, 2009. Team Canada will compete against more than 900 Competitors from 51 WorldSkills International Member countries/regions in team and individual competitions within specialised skilled trade and technology categories.

“We are very proud of the hard work and training Team Canada has undertaken over the last year,” said Shaun Thorson, Executive Director, Skills/Compétences Canada. “They are confident and prepared to compete alongside the best skilled trade and technology students and apprentices from around the world. With support and encouragement from the Government of Canada, industry leaders and educators, these talented young individuals represent the future of Canada’s skilled trade and technology workforce, and we couldn’t be more proud.“

This will be Canada’s tenth participation in a WorldSkills Competition which takes place every two years and brings together the world’s brightest in skilled trades and technology. Team Canada 2009, which is the largest team Canada has sent to a WorldSkills Competition, will participate in 35 of the 45 skills categories. At the last WorldSkills Competition held in Japan in 2007, Canada won six medals, eight Medallions for Excellence and the Albert Vidal Award for the Competitor that achieves the overall highest score out of all Competitors in all skill categories.

"Our Government encourages those considering a career in the skilled trades by providing Apprenticeship Grants for eligible apprentices," said the Honourable Diane Finley, Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development. "Team Canada and their fellow Competitors at WorldSkills Calgary 2009 represent the future. Our country needs to prepare now for an economic recovery and the increasing skills shortages that are expected to come with it."

Competition	Description	Team Canada Competitor	Province /Territory
Autobody Repair	Autobody repairers restore body work damage, ranging from mechanical to cosmetic, mainly caused by road accidents.	Devon DeBoer	AB
Automotive Technology	Automotive technicians are able to understand the important functions of car systems and carry out troubleshooting, maintenance and repair work.	Dan Van Holst	ON
Car Painting	Car painters remove, mark out and replace vehicle body parts, prepare vehicle surfaces, treat the vehicle with protective chemicals, apply prime coats and remove rust.	Daniel Green	AB
Aircraft Maintenance	An aircraft maintenance technician inspects, services, troubleshoots, removes, installs and repairs aircraft systems.	Brian Everts	BC
Plumbing and Heating	Plumbers install water, drainage and heating pipes for houses and industrial sites. Their tasks can include gas and compressed air pipe installations.	Brian Martin	ON
Electrical Installations	Electrical installers manufacture, maintain and repair electrical equipment for houses, industrial sites and power stations.	Craig Spady	AB
Industrial Control	Industrial controllers install conduits, cables, devices, instruments, automated devices and control centre fittings quickly and safely.	Steven Dingwall	AB
Bricklaying	Bricklayers work on commercial and residential projects where they cut and lay brick, stone, glass block or terra cotta to build walls, fireplaces, chimneys and other structures.	Kevin Jeanson	QC
Painting and Decorating	Involves preparing surfaces, selecting paints and colours, brushing, rolling or spraying paints and applying decorative finishes.	Tiffany Vandermey	AB
Cabinetmaking	A cabinetmaker works with wood to produce furniture, cabinetry and architectural millwork from a variety of natural and manufactured materials.	Jonathan Arbour	QC
Joinery	The process of connecting or joining two pieces of wood together through the use of various forms of wood joints.	Travis Wieler	MB
Carpentry	Carpenters have expertise in a wide variety of skills that are needed in commercial construction as well as in residential building and structural maintenance.	Scott Blair	ON
Landscape Gardening	Landscape gardeners design, develop and apply landscape plans, haul and spread topsoil, care for plants, mow, water, fertilize and trim.	Caroline Tanguay Hugo Parent	QC
Refrigeration	Refrigeration technicians install components which form the refrigeration system. When your air conditioning stops working, these are the professionals you call.	Mathieu Boily	QC
Information Network Cabling	Information Network Cabling consists of the designing, installing and testing of telecommunication networks.	Daniel Reid	AB
IT/Software Applications	Involves various uses of Microsoft Office software (or similar) and graphic programs.	Stacy DuBois	ON
Offset Printing	Offset printers are able to fit printing plates or cylinders on presses, mix the inks that go on them and adjust the color flow to the image.	Simon Beauchamp	QC
Web Design	Web designers use computer programs to produce web pages that include links to other pages, graphic elements, text and photographs.	Jason Valdron	QC
IT/PC Network Support	Consists of assembling personals computers (PCs) with accessories and network devices for home and business environments.	Matthew Chadder	AB
Mechatronics	Technicians build, maintain, repair and program equipment control systems for the automation industry.	Andrew Marcolin Jamie Feenstra	ON
Mechanical Engineering Design – CAD	Covers the use of computer-aided design (CAD) technology to produce documentation in manufacturing, including product drawings, paperwork and 3D models.	Germain-Samuel Sauvé	QC
CNC Turning	A process used to produce cylindrical components through metal cutting using computer numerically controlled (CNC) lathes.	Guillaume Grenier	QC
CNC Milling	Involves cutting metal materials with computer numerically controlled (CNC) milling machines.	Karl Loos	YK
Welding	Involves the fusing and separation of materials using a variety of processes.	Marc-Olivier Bélanger	QC
Electronics	Involves manufacturing, testing and troubleshooting electronic equipment.	Jud Tofflemire	ON
Mobile Robotics	A team competition that requires competitors to assemble, set-up, manage and maintain mechanical systems within a mobile robot.	Pavlo Tovaryanskyy Myles Robinson	MB
Sheet Metal Technology	Sheet metal technologists fabricate and install a wide variety of construction-related items using sheet metal or plastic material components.	Brad Chyz	AB
Floristry	The art of creating bouquets and compositions from flowers, foliages, ornamental grasses and other botanical materials.	Élisa Paquet-Lessard	QC
Fashion Technology	Fashion designers develop and create new clothing and accessory designs, as well as analyze fashion trends, choose the colours and fabrics and work closely with production, marketing and sales departments.	Daisy Liang	BC
Graphic Design Technology	Graphic designers research and manage virtual design projects, with a primary focus on electronic media.	David Boivin	QC
Ladies/Men's Hairdressing	Hairdressers must demonstrate the correct cutting techniques, curling, colouring and barbering with creativity, imagination and technical ability.	Samuel Chabot	QC
Beauty Therapy	A beauty therapist is a specialist in skin care, skin care advice, massage and makeup.	Isabelle Collin	NB
Confectioner/Pastry Cook	Confectioners and pastry cooks create delicious products for all kinds of events, needing artistic flair and talent.	Caitlin Mayo	BC
Cooking	A cook is trained to manage commercial kitchens, plan menus and prepare appealing and nutritious meals according to health and safety regulations.	Sébastien Laframboise	QC
Restaurant Service	Professional restaurant servers are skilled in serving food and drinks, mixing international drinks and working behind the bar.	Pierre-Luc Côté	QC

WorldSkills Calgary 2009

The Canadian Skills Competition is an important training opportunity for representatives from Team Canada 2009 who were chosen at last year’s Canadian Skills Competition, and who will be competing at WorldSkills Calgary 2009 . This four‐day international Competition, which is the biggest of its kind in the world, takes place September 1‐7, 2009 at Stampede Park where more than 900 skilled young people from trade, service and technology programs from 51 Member regions/countries will gather to compete. WorldSkills Calgary 2009, the 40th WorldSkills Competition, is the largest independent event ever hosted on Stampede Park. The organising committee, WorldSkills Calgary 2009 is leading the event coordination with support from WorldSkills International, Skills/Compétences Canada , and Skills Canada Alberta . Along with numerous sponsors and suppliers, the major event funding partners include: Government of Canada, Government of Alberta and The City of Calgary.

About Skills/Compétences Canada

Skills/Compétences Canada was founded in 1989 as a national, not‐for‐profit organization that works with employers, educators, labour groups and governments to promote skilled trades and technology careers among Canadian youth. Its unique position among private and public sector partners enables it to work toward securing Canada’s future skilled labour needs while helping young people discover rewarding careers. Skills/Compétences Canada offers experiential learning opportunities including skilled trades and technology competitions for hundreds of thousands of young Canadians through regional, provincial/territorial, national and international events, as well as skilled trades awareness programs. Headquartered in Gatineau, Quebec, Skills/Compétences Canada is the Canadian Member organization of WorldSkills International. For more information visit www.skillscanada.com or call 877-754-5226.

SCC Press Release - Team Canada's Great 38 Ready To Take Centre Stage 27 Aug 09