Skills Canada () is a Canadian non-profit organization dedicated to the promotion of careers in technology and skilled trades. One of their major initiatives is the annual Skills Canada National Competition. This is an Olympic-style event in which competitors from across the country take part in various skilled trades and technology contests. 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 may participate at either the secondary, post-secondary, or Team Canada level. The purpose of Skills Canada is to promote skilled careers in trades and technologies to youth and the future generation.
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 represent Canada at the WorldSkills competition, an international event hosted by WorldSkills International which is attended by competitors from 85 member countries and regions.
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 Installations Architectural Technology & Design Brick Masonry Cabinetmaking Carpentry Automation & Control Landscape Gardening Plumbing Refrigeration & Air Conditioning Sheet Metal Work Welding Steamfitter/Pipefitter Sprinkler Systems
Employment Sector Job Interview Job Skill Demonstration Public Speaking Workplace Safety Job Search
Information Technology 2D & 3D Computer Animation 3D Digital Game Art Electronics Graphic Design Web Design & Development IT Network Systems Administrations IT Office Software Applications Video Production Mechanical CADD Architectural Technology & Design Photography
Manufacturing and Engineering Sector CNC Machining Industrial Mechanic/Millwright Mechatronics Precision Machining Mobile Robotics Mechatronics
Services Sector Baking Cooking Hairstyling Aesthetics Fashion Technology
Transportation Sector Aerospace Technology Automotive Service Autobody Repair Car Painting Heavy Equipment Service Outdoor Power & Recreation Equipment
Competitions To date, 30 Skills Canada National Competitions have been held. In 2020 the event had been scheduled to be held in Vancouver, British Columbia but it was cancelled owing to the COVID-19 pandemic. The next competition will be held in Toronto, Ontario in 2026.
Event City Province Year31TorontoOntario202630ReginaSaskatchewan202529Québec CityQuébec202428WinnipegManitoba202327VancouverBritish Columbia202226(Virtual)202125HalifaxNova Scotia201924EdmontonAlberta201823WinnipegManitoba201722MonctonNew Brunswick2016 21 Saskatoon Saskatchewan 2015 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 1994
References
External links Official website