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UCDSB Secondary School Students Put Their Skills to the Test, Compete in Welding and Carpentry Competitions
UCDSB Secondary School Students Put Their Skills to the Test, Compete in Welding and Carpentry Competitions
Posted on 03/29/2023

March 29, 2023 (Carleton Place, ON) – Upper Canada District School Board (UCDSB) secondary school students displayed their talents in welding and carpentry during a Specialist High Skills Major (SHSM) skills qualifying competition at Carleton Place High School (CPHS) on March 24.  

The competition saw 15 students from Carleton Place High School, Athens District High School, Smiths Falls District Collegiate Institute (SFDCI), North Grenville District High School (NGDHS), and Perth and District Collegiate Institute compete in either welding or construction to qualify for the regional competition in Kingston on April 1.

In both competitions, the Grade 11 and 12 students received a diagram and instructions of what they would be constructing and the steps to build it, all while up against the clock. In the welding competition, students welded and ground several pieces of metal together to create a multi-level box. While in the construction competition, students measured, cut, and built a planter box. In both competitions, industry professionals observed the students’ technical abilities and offered feedback on their work.

“The qualifying competition is an excellent way for students to put their skills to the test, demonstrate what they’ve learned to date, and build their confidence,” says Lauren Levac, a UCDSB Student Success Learning Partner and lead on this event. “It also allows students to network with industry professionals and get valuable feedback from judges. We're proud of all our students who participated in the qualifying competition and impressed by the level of talent and dedication they showed. We look forward to seeing them continue to succeed in the skilled trades.”  

The UCDSB's SHSM program is designed to provide secondary school students with hands-on learning opportunities in a specific sector. The numerous  program opportunities across all secondary schools help students gain industry-recognized certifications, develop essential skills, and make valuable connections in their chosen fields.  

Stephen Stanzel, Grade 12 at CPHS, competed in the welding competition and says initially he was a little nervous. It's cool to see what everyone's specifically good at and the different types of welding as there's more than one. We got professionally graded and told what we needed to work on and what we did well. It was good constructive criticism,” says Stanzel.

Stanzel adds he has done some welding at school and home, but the competition gave him an added boost of confidence and insight. “I'm going into civil engineering and structure building. This opportunity gave me some good insights into why certain welding should be avoided and can be simplified into different types of welding.”

The welding and carpentry judges praised all students for the quality of workmanship and their skills. Special thanks to Core Gas for their ongoing support of student learning and for supplying judge Shawn Halliday for the welding competition.

NGDHS’s Theo Taylor placed first in carpentry and Jeremy Lockett of SFDCI placed first in welding. Both will represent their schools at regionals.

In the culinary SKLZ competition at Thousand Islands Secondary School (TISS) on February 22, three UCDSB schools and four students competed, with the top two advancing to the regional skills qualifier on April 1 in Kingston. Braiden O'Toole from TISS earned first place and Makai Timm Sabourin Vankleek Hill Collegiate Institute placed second.

“We wish all UCDSB students competing in their respective competitions the best of luck at regionals,” says Levac. 

  For media inquiries, please contact:   

April Scott-Clarke   Manager of Communications   Upper Canada District School Board   [email protected] 

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