Skills Ontario and Humber College celebrate Ontario competitors at WorldSkills Competition; new skilled-trades scholarship also announced

TORONTO, Ont. – (Feb. 9, 2023) Thanks to their hard work, seven Ontario competitors were part of Team Canada at the WorldSkills Special Edition, where two Ontario skilled-trade students have placed in the top three for their contests during the WorldSkills Special Edition 2022 Competition.

Emma Kilgannon and Malcom Matwijec received bronze medals after competing last fall. A total of seven students from six Ontario colleges competed in the event. The special edition was held in 15 countries across 26 different cities.

Kilgannon, a student and recent graduate of Humber College, competed in Pâtisserie and Confectionary in Lucerne, Switzerland, while Matwijec, a student at Centennial College, competed in Heavy Vehicle Technology in Salzburg, Austria. Both were presented with their official WorldSkills Medal Recognition banner to hang proudly in their institutions in which they present. Institutions are honoured to hang these banners from all levels of Skills Competition, to display the achievement of skilled trade and technology students for all to see. They hang as prestigiously in the same manner a banner would, from a sport that triumphed.

All competitors represented their college, Ontario, and Canada proudly, including Spencer Chandu-Lall from Loyalist in Mechanical Engineering CAD, Daniel Kiss from Conestoga College in CNC Milling, Abigail King from Fanshawe College in Autobody Repair, Cameron Krause from Conestoga College in Bricklaying and Akshay Vineet from Sheridan College in Cloud Computing. Each competitor was also invited to Humber College North Campus on Thursday for a celebration of their efforts.

Ian Howcroft, the CEO of Skills Ontario, said the experience Kilgannon and Matwijec had at the competition is an example of the rewards from pursuing a career in the skilled trades and technologies.

“Skills Ontario is proud of the success Emma and Malcolm have achieved at the WorldSkills Competition,” said Howcroft, “Ontario youth are demonstrating the value and importance of a skilled trades education here and abroad. With the demand for skilled trades workers in Ontario growing, the opportunities from pursuing a career in the skilled trades and technologies are endless!”

“And it’s a great way to highlight the importance of careers in the trades with the Schulich Foundation’s announcement of a substantial commitment to scholarships towards skilled trades education. We are pleased to partner with the Schulich Foundation and the respective colleges to promote these new scholarships that will help more Ontarians pursue rewarding careers in the skilled trades.”

The Schulich Foundation was also on site to announce a new scholarship involving the skilled trades. In its first year, The Schulich Builders: Scholarships for Skilled Trades will invest more than $3 million to combat labour shortages and highlight the importance of skilled trades in Canada.

On hand for the celebration and scholarship announcement were Doug Ford, Premier of Ontario, Jill Dunlop, Minister of Colleges and Universities, Monte McNaughton, Minister of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development, and Stephen Lecce, Minister of Education. Skills Ontario thanks the provincial government for its partnership and investment into the skilled trades.

Quotes:

“Skills Ontario draws out the best in our students, every time. I was overjoyed for Heavy-Duty Equipment Technician apprentice and Centennial student, Malcolm Matwijec, when he earned a bronze medal at the WorldSkills Competition in Austria. What an incredible learning experience for Malcolm! Skills Ontario not only provides an opportunity for students to learn about themselves, to strengthen their technical skills and bolster their confidence, it also nurtures a passion for, and an interest in, the trades. Ontario is all the stronger for it. Gratitude and kudos to Skills Ontario!”
– Dr. Craig Stephenson, president and CEO, Centennial College

“Skilled trades are a critical part of driving the Ontario economy forward and Humber is proud to prepare students for these careers. We are pleased that the Schulich Foundation shares this commitment and is providing a competitive advantage to students pursuing these important jobs of tomorrow.”
– Dr. Ann Marie Vaughan, president and CEO, Humber College

“The Schulich Builders scholarship will be a gamechanger for so many students, and supports our government’s ongoing work with business, labour, colleges and universities to attract more young people into the skilled trades. We’re bolstering our skilled workforce to build the roads, highways, schools and hospitals our growing population needs.”
– The Honourable Doug Ford, Premier of Ontario

“The path to success begins with a meaningful education. This investment in our students is an investment in their future and in turn will help build the strong workforce that Ontario needs to thrive.” 
– The Honourable Jill Dunlop, Minister of Colleges and Universities

“As demand for skilled labour increases across Ontario, our government’s focus is to ensure our students learn from a modern curriculum that strengthens STEM, hands-on learning, and life and job skills. I am proud of Ontario’s young leaders punching above their weight at the WorldSkills competition, as we work to support the next generation of skilled workers, innovators, and entrepreneurs.”
– The Honourable Stephen Lecce, Minister of Education

“Ontario is facing the largest labour shortage in a generation, which means when you have a career in the skilled trades, you have a career for life. With Schulich Foundation’s skilled trade scholarship program, they are helping to attract and prepare a new generation of skilled trades workers here in Ontario for better jobs and bigger paycheques.”
– The Honourable Monte McNaughton, Minister of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development

About Skills Ontario  
Skills Ontario has been delivering programs and events since 1989 with an aim to inspire youth to explore skilled trades and technologies. Skills Ontario has found great success through its initiatives, and continues to deliver programs for many audiences, including young women, Indigenous youth, new Canadians, persons with exceptionalities, and more, in order to connect education, experience, and employment. To see how you can partner with Skills Ontario and help make a difference in the lives of Ontario youth, visit skillsontario.com/get-involved.