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WorldSkills Team Canada 2015 set to compete in the championships of skilled trades and technologies in Brazil

OTTAWA, March 6, 2015 /CNW/ – Yesterday, Skills/Compétences Canada (SCC), together with the Minister of Employment and Social Development Canada and Minister for Democratic Reform, the Honourable Pierre Poilievre, and HGTV star, Mike Holmes Jr., announced the official members of WorldSkills Team Canada 2015. The 29-member team represents the country’s best youth in skilled trades and technologies. They will compete in Brazil this August at the 43rd WorldSkills Competition, in São Paulo. This Competition represents the pinnacle of excellence in skilled trades and technologies.

The competitors named to WorldSkills Team Canada 2015 – all under 23 years of age and coming from different regions from across the country – rose to the top of the Skills Canada National Competition and completed the final step of qualification for the international team through the WorldSkills Canadian Trials, meeting pre-established Canadian standards in their respective fields. In Brazil, they will go up against more than 1,000 competitors from 72 WorldSkills Member countries/regions, further testing their skills against international competency standards.

Minister Poilievre congratulated the competitors and wished them well in Brazil on behalf of the Government ofCanada.

“We need young people like you, who excel in your field, to bring your talent to the workforce. I really hope that other young Canadians will look to all of you and think, “I can do that too!” You are an inspiration to your peers, and to the rest of us as well. This is why our Government is helping young people pursue careers in the skilled trades through additional tax credits, grants, training programs and the new Canada Apprentice Loan,” he said.

The Government of Canada supports WorldSkills Team Canada 2015.

“The Team Canada competitors are the best of their generation in this country in skilled trades and technologies,” says Shaun Thorson, CEO of SCC. “They also represent Canada’s future potential. Professional education and training are the most important tools we can leverage in maintaining a strong and vibrant Canadian economy.”

“These young Canadians are today’s leaders for tomorrow’s prosperity,” says Thorson.

Mike Holmes Jr., star of HGTV and an advocate of skilled trades, technologies and entrepreneurship, added these words of encouragement to the group of competitors. “Look at this team – I am blown away by the number of young leaders standing with me in this room,” says Holmes. “You are not just youth involved in skilled trades; you are sector trailblazers, industry mentors and champions in building momentum for more young entrepreneurial Canadians to reach for career excellence.”

WorldSkills Team Canada 2015 will compete from August 11 to 16 in Anhembi Park in São Paulo, Brazil, in front of a crowd of over 200,000 spectators, which includes students, teachers and industry experts. Team Canada will not only compete, they will spark dialogue on further improving quality and access to vocational training and generate new ideas to inspire youth to consider technical careers.

“I know they will make us proud in Brazil,” says Holmes. “They already have here at home.”

Canadians can get more information on Team Canada by following the Twitter conversation at #WSTC2015 and by following SCC’s Facebook page. Biographies of all 29 WorldSkills Team Canada 2015 competitors will be available shortly at www.skillscompetencescanada.com. An official group photo of the team will be posted on March 6 onFlickr.

Here are the official members of WorldSkills Team Canada 2015:

Competitor Name

Contest

Hometown

Province

Carson Gustafson

Mechanical Engineering Design CAD

Lashburn

SK

Trevor Fandrick

CNC Turning

Calmar

AB

Tyler Magri

CNC Milling

Churchill

ON

Tommy St-Martin

Welding

Notre-Dame-des-Prairies

QC

Justin Dambitis

Autobody Repair

Rocky View County

AB

Ryan Leedham

Aircraft Maintenance

Brookfield

NS

Kendrick Howe

Plumbing and Heating

Monarch

AB

Winston Lord

Electronics

Mississauga

ON

Gabriel Santerre

Web Design

Mascouche

QC

Jacob Fluker

Electrical Installations

Fort Saskatchewan

AB

Brennan Roy-Bertin

Industrial Control

Edmonton

AB

Phillip Bélanger

Mobile Robotics

Hearst

ON

Maxime Marineau

Mobile Robotics

Hearst

ON

Rylan Dekok

Cabinetmaking

Picture Butte

AB

Maxime Gauvreau

Carpentry

Terrebonne

QC

Jessica Pruneau

Hairdressing

Québec

QC

Kaitlyn Hoiles

Beauty Therapy

Kingston

ON

Patricia Roque

Fashion Technology

Richmond

BC

Karine Ouelette

Confectioner/Pastry Cook

Québec

QC

Brandon Liang

Automobile Technology

Camrose

AB

Sébastien Rémillard

Cooking

Québec

QC

Kassandra Bilodeau

Car Painting

St-Bernard

QC

Gabriel Tessier

Landscape Gardening

Marieville

QC

Gabriel Lévesque

Landscape Gardening

Beloeil

QC

Marc-Antoine Bettez

Refrigeration and Air Conditioning

Hébertville

QC

William Lebel

IT – Network Systems Administration

Québec

QC

Roxanne Kanak

Graphic Design Technology

Quill Lake

SK

Peter Lauser

Industrial Mechanics Millwright

Calgary

AB

Ryan Green

Heavy Vehicle Maintenance

Bowmanville

ON

 

About Skills Canada – Skills Canada was founded in 1989 as a national, notforprofit 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 securingCanada’s future skilled labour needs while helping young people discover rewarding careers. Skills 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 Ottawa, Ontario, Skills Canada is the Canadian Member organization of WorldSkills. For more information, visit www.skillscanada.com or call 877-754-5226.

 

SOURCE Skills/Compétences Canada

Image with caption: “The Honourable Pierre Poilievre, Minister of Employment and Social Development Canada and Minister for Democratic Reform, John Oates, President of Skills/Compétences Canada and Shaun Thorson, Chief Executive Officer of Skills/Compétences Canada attended a reception to congratulate the official members of WorldSkills Team Canada 2015. (CNW Group/Skills/Compétences Canada)”. Image available at:http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20150306_C6235_PHOTO_EN_12900.jpg

For further information: Jennifer Cavanagh, Director of Communications, Skills Canada, 613-784-9996,jenniferc@skillscanada.com

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