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Success Stories
Click on the links below to read articles from the local media.
| Courtesy the Medicine Hat News |
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| Tue, 31/03/2009 |
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Students ready to show off their skills
The day-long event showcases participants from five school districts engaged in practical challenges designed to test the skills required in trade and technology-related occupations. The tests have been developed in collaboration with College instructors to challenge students who are currently in Grades 10-12.
“It’s an opportunity for these kids to come out and show their skills to everyone,” said project manager Sue Feeney.
The intent has always been to showcase youth talent and improve individual skills, but the spinoff has been interest from potential employers. The competition has been great exposure for ambitious students, landing them apprenticeships and even local employment opportunities.
Since starting in 2005 with only five levels, competition areas this year now include: auto service, cabinet making, carpentry, hairstyling (junior and intermediate), IT software applications, TV/video production and welding. Each event will take place in different labs throughout the College in one day.
The day will also include a trades awareness event for students in Grades 8 and up. Members of the community will be providing short presentations on various trades.
Feeney says the point of the exhibits is to provide more first-hand education about what is really involved in the various professions.
The student competitors are judged by College instructors and industry representatives. Winners in some categories will go on to provincials. Skills competitions are also held at a national and world level.
Last year 107 youth competed. The day culminated in an afternoon awards ceremony where friends, family, sponsors and the public viewers got into the excitement.
So much attention is put into athletics and music, “it’s nice to see that there’s another focus in the schools,” Feeney said of the students who plan their semesters around the competition.
While many employers are tightening up their staff count, Feeney says there is still industry support because everyone recognizes the economy will eventually turn around and trades will always be in demand.
“We’re always going to need welders, electricians and other skilled workers.”
Close to 800 hours of planning goes into the day-long event, which is headed up by South Eastern Alberta Partners for Youth Career Development. |
 Stephanie Keats concentrates on styling the hair on a model head during the hairstyling competition. |
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| Courtesy the Medicine Hat News |
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| Tue, 07/04/2009 |
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Competition helps boost students' skills
Grade 11 Crescent Heights High School student Destiny Holowka is one of more than 100 students participating in the event. She hopes to improve on last year’s performance in her area of skill, IT software applications
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“It works with three processes for Microsoft on the computer,” Holowka says about the competition category. “It’s Word, Excel and Access. It’s proving your skills and showing what you know about the softwares.”
Each of the three processes come with its own task, which students are provided a maximum of two hours to complete. For Microsoft Word, tasks could include writing a proper business letter, placing information onto an aesthetically-pleasing newsletter design or writing a memo. In Microsoft Excel, students will be expected to work with graphs such as pie charts, line graphs or bar graphs. In Microsoft Access, tasks could involve working with a database to quickly access information.
A great deal of practice goes into the competition. Holowka has been studying modules in her Information Processing class to make sure she understands the concepts before the challenges are placed before her.
Classmates have also been preparing because a great deal of skill is involved for some of the categories, she says. Last year students in the hairstyling category came up with creative styles no one would have ever thought of, she added.
“You have to be skilled to do this stuff. You have to take classes and courses and have knowledge of practical concepts. It’s crazy how much these people know and how well they can put their skills to work.”
Students will compete in other categories, including auto service, cabinet making, carpentry, hairstyling (junior and intermediate), TV/video production and welding. Each event will take place in different labs throughout the Medicine Hat College over the course of the day. Competitors from five school districts are challenged in trade-related tasks designed in collaboration with College professors.
The student competitors are judged by college instructors and industry representatives. Winners in some categories will go on to provincials.
Holowka said developing her skills in ITsoftware is very beneficial because the programs have many applications in today’s society. Her computer skills have helped her in other classes and she hopes they will open doors for her future.
“I’m not exactly sure what I aspire to do, but I think it’s helped me out a lot because every career needs someone with computer skills,” said Holowka. “It definitely broadens my range of careers in the future.”
Last year she didn’t place among the top performers, but that didn’t discourage her.
“I thought it was a really nice experience so I’d do it again.”
This year she thinks she has a better chance of doing well because she has gone through the experience before. And this time she has a strategy.
“I’m definitely bringing my creative side to it.” |
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| Competing in the IT software applications portion of the Southeast Alberta Regional Skills Compeition April 30 for the second year in a row, Grade 11 student Destiny Holowka of Crescent Heights High School says last year’s experience will hold her in good stead this year. |
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| Courtesy the Medicine Hat News |
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| Tue, 14/04/2009 |
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Students, employers both win
Now in its third year, the Southeast Alberta Regional Skills Competition was an ideal program to get behind, says Terry Bartman, one of a number of local employers which supports the annual event.
“It gives the youth an idea of what our trade or trades is all about at a young age,” said the owner of Terry Bartman Construction. “Without actually having to step into an apprenticeship program, they develop some skills through their own schooling in shop programs that are at their high schools.”
These skills are showcased annually through the competition. Not only is it great exposure for the student but businesses can observe talent in the youth who may later pursue a career in the trade.
“These kids get their eyes opened and we actually get to tap into the program to see who’s available, you get a read on the student at the very beginning,” said Bartman.
Former Eagle Butte High School student Kyle Welz was one of the youth who stood out when he competed in 2007 and 2008.
After graduation, Welz considered pursuing a career in the oil field. With his marks in school, he could have gone on to pursue other ventures but he eventually turned to the trades because it was something he knew he enjoyed.
“I just didn’t like the entire idea of going to college for four or five years and then having the chance that I didn’t like what I was doing,” said Welz.
While he may not have taken it seriously at first, Welz went on to provincials both years he participated in the regional competition.
“I walked into it thinking it was just a day off school, I wouldn’t have to do any class work,” he said. “Then I actually went and found out it was a whole lot more fun than I thought it was going to be and I walked out with a first-place prize.”
At the provincial competition in Calgary, Welz used his free time to observe the other exciting trade challenges underway. He’s still so impressed by the program, he’d like to observe the world’s competition which will be held in Calgary this fall.
Welz has been employed at Terry Bartman Construction since November 2008 where he builds and installs cabinets. He’s the only student hired through this program but the company has had others come through the Registered Apprenticeship Program (RAP) to get a feel for the trade.
Bartman says it’s programs like these which build stronger relationships between employers and educators, while keeping the trades successful.
“For us, it’s a way to give back to the trade. We have a couple of our journeymen who have gone through the apprenticeship program at the College and they go back as judges in these situations,” said Bartman.
“We don’t take enough time to thank and appreciate what the College does for us and the teachers at the high schools who get these kids involved and get them interested in our trade.”
This year’s Southeast Alberta Regional Skills Competition will be held at the Medicine Hat College on April 30. More than 100 youth from five regional school districts will compete in categories including: auto service, cabinet making, carpentry, hairstyling (junior and intermediate), TV/video production, information technology and welding.
Students will be given trade-related tasks designed in collaboration with College professors. Their work will be judged by industry representatives and instructors.
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| Kyle Welz sands a cabinet door at Terry Bartman Construction Tuesday morning. |
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| Courtesy the Medicine Hat News |
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| Wed, 22/04/2009 |
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Duchess welding student aiming at a second crown
The annual event promotes skilled trades and technologies as youth from five school districts are challenged in various tasks. The events are designed in collaboration with Medicine Hat College professors in categories including: Information processing, auto service, cabinet making, carpentry, hairstyling (junior and intermediate), TV/video production and welding.
Last year Bartman, who learned how to weld in his father’s garage over the last five years, took home the gold at a regional level. He went on to take fifth place provincially.
“I just went there and it was my first year, I didn’t know what to expect,” said the Grade 11 student who lives in Duchess. “I just went and tried my hardest and I guess I did alright.”
Bartman was challenged to create book-ends using a number of welding techniques. Without classroom experience, he was still able to impress the judges and take home the title.
Bartman has spent his evenings practising welding in preparation for this year’s competition at the Medicine Hat College on April 30.
“The pressure’s on this year because I won it last year.”
He is also signed up to learn more about welding through the Registered Apprenticeship Program (RAP). Meanwhile, he works at a body shop in Brooks, proving no one is limited to just one trade in the future.
Bartman is excited for this year’s competition, not just to show what he is capable of, but to see what his peers can do.
“It’s totally worth going.” |
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| Jordy Bartman of Duchess will be striving fo r his second welding title in as many years at the April 30 Southeast Alberta Regional Skills competitio, shceduled for the Medicine Hat College. |
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| Courtesy the Medicine Hat News |
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| Tue, 28/04/2009 |
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Student skills' competition set for Thursday
The annual Southeast Alberta Regional Skills Competition will be held Thursday at the Medicine Hat College. Students from five school districts will engage in practical challenges designed to test the skills required in trade and technology-related occupations. The tests have been developed in collaboration with College instructors to challenge the Grade 10-12 students.
The event helps showcase youth talent and improve individual skills while building relationships with industry employers. Many students have moved beyond the competition to start apprenticeships and secure local employment.
“If we didn’t have industry and the College instructors helping us, this wouldn’t be happening,” said Vivian Haland, coordinator of the South Eastern Alberta Partners for Youth Career Development, which heads up the event.
Starting in 2005, the Regional Skills Competition has grown to involve a number of skills areas, including: auto service, cabinet making, carpentry, hairstyling (junior and intermediate), IT software applications, TV/video production and welding.
Students in each of the categories Thursday will be provided challenges to complete within a selected time frame. At the end of the day, judges will review their performance and winners will be announced at a special awards ceremony. Winners in some categories will go on to provincials.
A trades awareness event will be set up at the College for the day.
Close to 800 hours of planning goes into the day-long event, which complements regular initiatives designed to build our future talent pool, says Haland.
During these economic times, employers are encouraged to get involved in the Registered Apprenticeship Program (RAP).
“Today is a really great opportunity to spend time training students in the shops,” said Haland. “Two years ago it was so busy, there just wasn’t the time.”
“These skill shortages will not go away, so we can take action now to increase the supply of skilled workers.” |
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| Becki Chermishnuk was one of eight local high school students to win a gold medal at the 2007 regional Skills Canada competition. |
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