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High school students vie for gold in the DSBN Technological Skills Challenge at Niagara College

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Students in NC's Teaching Spa apply bridal makeup to models in the new esthetics challenge.

Over 200 local high school students-turned-competitors put their skills in trades and technology to the test at Niagara College on February 26, vying for the chance to win a medal at the 22nd annual District School Board of Niagara (DSBN) Technological Skills Challenge.

NC hosted the day-long competition for the fifth year at the Welland Campus and the Daniel J. Patterson Campus in Niagara-on-the-Lake. The 27 challenges spanned automotive technology, computer coding, advanced manufacturing, floral design, baking and more, including a new competition in esthetics. NC Career Services also offered a job interview skills challenge. Faculty and staff from NC worked alongside the DSBN to administer and judge the challenges, offering high school students in grades 9 through 12 a glimpse into the skilled trades at college.

Andrea Ventura prepares a dish in the culinary skills challenge held at the Daniel J. Patterson Campus in Niagara-on-the-Lake.

“Our students are showing off the skills they’ve learned in the classroom and representing their schools. They’ve put in a lot of extra effort to be here today,” said Jill Russell, consultant for Technology and French program with the DSBN, adding, “We are very thankful for Niagara College. They’ve offered their great facilities, judges and their faculty and staff.”

“We’ve always had a good relationship with the DSBN. The opportunity came up a few years ago to incorporate the Skills Competition on site,” said Phil Hayes, associates director, Recruitment. “We saw hosting the challenge as a great opportunity to utilize our break week to bring the students and teachers on campus to help strengthen that relationship between the secondary school and the college sector.”

Many of the students come from the Ontario Youth Apprenticeship Program (OYAP) and Specialist High Skills Major (SHSM) programs across the region, while others may be exploring the trades and technology sector for the first time.

Hayes explains that the Technological Skills Competition gives high school students the opportunity to explore post-secondary, receive mentorship from NC faculty, and decide whether to pursue a career in the trades. “The soft skills that they learn around teamwork, discipline, time management are all things that will benefit them when they come into post-secondary.”

The top three finalists from each Challenge will be recognized at the DSBN Skills Celebration in the spring, and gold medal champions will represent the DSBN at the Skills Ontario Provincial Finals in May. Gold medalists at the provincial level will become part of Team Ontario and will advance to the Skills National Finals held this year in Vancouver, British Columbia.

The results of the competition are available here: teched.dsbn.org/skills/2016-challenges/2016-results

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