Rainbow District School Board hosts Technological Skills Competition

Rainbow District School Board will host its eighth annual Technological Skills Competition at Cambrian College on Wednesday, March 7, 2012. Over 150 secondary school students will test their skills in events such as carpentry, welding, auto-CADD, Rube Machine, video editing, photography, auto-service technology, fashion, 2D character animation, cabinet making, small-powered equipment and TV/video production. Students will vie for an opportunity to compete in the provincial Skills Competition in Waterloo this May.

As part of the competition, 200 Grade 8 students will visit Cambrian College to learn more about the trades. Students will complete a series of hands-on workshops geared to technology, including rocket launchers, sailboat competitions, energy systems, GPS in mining and fun with chemistry.

“Students gain valuable hands-on learning through the Tech Skills Competition," says Leo Leclair, Rainbow District School Board’s Co-ordinator for Specialist High Skills Major (SHSM) programs. “Linking classroom instruction with real life experiences in a postsecondary environment is a key component of our destination-based curriculum. The Technological Skills Competition brings learning to life in a fun, challenging and creative way. It also get students thinking about possible careers at an early age."

The trades and technology departments at Cambrian College are providing the location for the various events and have helped to prepare some of the written and practical tests for the day in collaboration with teachers from participating secondary schools and local community experts.  They are also providing judges. Two of the events will be held at Lasalle Secondary School.

Participants will have an opportunity to go home with some wonderful prizes thanks to the support of community businesses and organizations, including the Sudbury & Manitoulin Partnerships Board and the Ontario Youth Apprenticeship Program (OYAP), among others.

The awards ceremony will begin at 2:20 pm in the Cambrian College Student Centre. Parents/guardians are welcome to attend.

Rainbow District School Board salutes the many staff members who have worked in partnership with the community to organize the Technological Skills Competition:

Rob Smith and Giancarlo Chiarot – Lo-Ellen Park Secondary School
Christopher Dinnes and Stephen Robinson – Lively District Secondary School
Denis Dormer and Chris Sheppard – Chelmsford Valley District Composite School
Darren Foy – Algonquin Road Public School
Leo Leclair – Rainbow District School Board
Sharon Orlak – Ontario Youth Apprenticeship Program
Anne Quesnel and Sue Bechard– Sudbury Secondary School
Peter Vigna and Peter Lucano – Lasalle Secondary School
Mike Cole, Pat Campeau and Eric Laberge – Lockerby Composite School
Bernie Gervais and Gilles Pelland – Confederation Secondary School
Henri Girard – Espanola High School
Irving Noble – Manitoulin Secondary School




8th Annual Skills Competition

Wednesday, March 7, 2012

Agenda for the day

9:30 am to 11:30 am

AutoCADD -  Lasalle Secondary School  – Room 102
Home and Team Building – Lasalle Secondary School – Room 105

Auto-Service Technology – Trades Building – Cambrian College – Room 1700   
Carpentry (team of two) – Trades Building – Cambrian College – Room 1721
Welding – Trades Building – Cambrian College – Room 1738
Cabinetmaking – Trades Building – Cambrian College – Room 1722
Small Powered Equipment – Trades Building – Cambrian College – Room 1737

2D Character Animation  – Cambrian College – Room 2649
Baking – Cambrian College – Room 1240
Fashion Design – Cambrian College – Student Centre
Job Interview – Cambrian College – Room 2253
Photography – Cambrian College – Room 1640
Prepared Speech – Cambrian College – Room 2253
TV/Video Production – Cambrian College – Room 2640
Rube Machine – Cambrian College – Student Centre

11:30 am to Noon – Lunch
       
Noon to 1:45 pm – Competitors resume competition


1:10 pm to 1:45 pm – Grade 8 Awards (Student Centre)
       
2:00 pm to 2:20 pm – Rube Machine Competition (Student Centre)

2:20 pm to 3:00 – Senior Skills Awards Ceremony (Student Centre)

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Media Contact:

Leo Leclair, Co-ordinator, Specialist High Skills Major (SHSM) Programs
Rainbow District School Board, 705-523-3308, ext. 8203