We are now two months out from the 2014 Skills Canada National Competition (SCNC) in Toronto. All of us from the Skills/Compétences Canada Team hope that you will be joining us as we highlight our 20th anniversary of competition!

Many exciting events are planned, and a variety of celebrities will be attending SCNC 2014, including our spokesperson Mike Holmes. I invite you to register now online and to pass along the invitation to your friends and contacts in the GTA.

As we celebrate the accomplishments of the past two decades, specifically the positive impact our programs and competitions have had on hundreds of thousand of young Canadians, it is fitting that we take a closer look at the people who have enabled that success. We can learn from their insight, because they have witnessed the evolution of the Skills Canada organization and have contributed to a heightened awareness of skilled trade and technology career opportunities.

Therefore, through this newsletter, we will begin highlighting a variety of people in the skilled trades and technology world. Although their backgrounds and paths to success varied, all of these people have capitalized on their proficiency of essential skills, and share the same passion of wanting to inspire the next generation of Canadian youth.

I hope to see you soon in Toronto. Good luck until then!

Shaun Thorson