Students and apprentices throughout B.C. are gearing up for the 2013 season of Skills Canada BC competitions.

Hundreds of young spectators at the events, including middle and high school students, will have the opportunity to get some hands-on experience in skilled trades and technology careers.

Skills Canada BC hosts 13 regional competitions and one provincial competition every year. This June B.C. will play host to the national competition. Each competition brings together secondary, post-secondary and apprenticeship students to compete in Olympic-style contests. From baking to welding to 3D computer animations design, competitors put their skills in math and science to the test, and challenge their problem-solving, teamwork and creative thinking skills.

The competitions celebrate and reward students for excellence in their mastery of skilled trade and technology skills in a manner that directly involves industry in evaluating student performance and that helps keeps training relevant to employers' needs. They also create an interactive and engaging environment for the thousands of young people who will attend the competitions as spectators.

The new Discover Trades and Technologies First Hand program offers students between the ages of 11 and 18 who are exploring future career options an opportunity to try a variety of interactive, challenging and fun activities in a safe and engaging environment. Professional industry representatives and educators will be on hand to guide spectators through a variety of activities while answering questions and sharing their experiences about skilled trade and technology careers.

Winners of the regional competitions in March advance to the provincials in April, where they have the chance of advancing to the Skills Canada National Competition and potentially the WorldSkills competitions. From June 5 to 8, Vancouver will host the national event at BC Place, with over 500 competitors competing in 40 contest areas each vying for a chance at a coveted gold medal.

The national competition, the only event of its kind in Canada, helps to raise the profile of careers in trades and technology, a key element of both the BC Jobs Plan and BC Skills and Training Plan - supporting continued growth of B.C.'s economy.

Skills Canada BC received financial support from the B.C. government this past fall to prepare British Columbia secondary and post-secondary students and apprentices for the 2013 competition season and to provide transportation to the competitions this spring. This is one element in a $1.2-million provincial effort aimed at getting more young people interested in the trades.

This supports several key themes government heard last fall as part of its engagement with British Columbians on Skills and Training, including the need to ensure that today's students will have the skills they need to fill the jobs of tomorrow.

In addition to hosting regional and provincial competitions, Skills Canada BC links industry, educators and students through annual trade and technology career fairs, the largest of their kind in B.C.

This follows a government announcement yesterday for the YES 2 IT (Youth Exploring Skills to Industry Training), a community-based, highly interactive program that gives young students in B.C. a chance to experience skilled trades and make connections with tradespersons in their communities. It is sponsored by the Industry Training Authority (ITA) and participating school districts to introduce students to trades at an early age in anticipation that more students will pursue trades training in their senior grades as they work towards graduation. Read more: http://bit.ly/WUma4I

Quotes:

Minister of Advanced Education, Innovation and Technology John Yap -

"The BC Jobs Plan depends on the energy and talent of a strong, skilled workforce. The accomplishments of all of the competitors serve as a testament to the quality of the post-secondary education and training here in B.C. I'm excited for B.C. to host the 2013 national competition, offering our many talented B.C. students to compete and demonstrate their skills on home turf."

"The First Hand program is a great opportunity for more students in the K-to-12 system to be thinking about - and get a taste for - careers in the trades."

Minister of Jobs, Tourism and Skills Training and Minister Responsible for Labour Pat Bell -

"From bakers, chefs and automotive technicians to heavy equipment operators and construction workers, trades will be in high demand over the coming decade. Our Skills and Training Plan promotes the trades and aims to get more students into technical programs."

"By 2020, there will be one million job openings and 43 per cent will require trades or technical training. We are investing $75 million in upgrading training facilities, equipment and access to teachers and this will put BC students first in line for jobs that are close to home."

Don McRae, Minister of Education -

"Congratulations to all of the students who will be taking part in this year's competitions, and to their teachers. It's great to see this year's events will also be providing hands-on trades experiences for younger students who are not competitors. Early exposure to the trades can open up whole new career pathways for young learners and lead to exciting, well-paying jobs in the future."

Skills Canada BC executive director Amber Papou -

"Skills Canada BC and our many partners, including the Government of Canada, the Province of B.C. and the ITA, are incredibly excited to be able to offer a wide variety of opportunities for B.C.'s youth to experience skilled trade and technology careers."

"These experiences act as important stepping stones for students by providing them with an environment in which they can engage with industry and educators and at the same time explore skilled trade careers for themselves with hands on activities."

Learn More:

BC Skills and Training Plan: www.bcjobsplan.ca/skills/bc-skills-and-training-plan/

BC Jobs Plan - Skills and Training: http://www.bcjobsplan.ca/skills/

Skills Canada BC: http://www.skillscanada.bc.ca

Skills Canada and the national competition: http://www.skillscanada.com

Canada Starts Here: The BC Jobs Plan: http://www.bcjobsplan.ca

Discover Trades: http://www.discovertradesbc.ca

The Industry Training Authority: http://www.itabc.ca

A backgrounder follows.

Contact:

Dan Gilmore
Communications Manager
Ministry of Advanced Education, Innovation and Technology
250 952-6400

• Island South:

• March 1, Camosun College, Victoria

• March 8, Belmont Secondary, Victoria

• March 28, Pacific Design Academy, Victoria

• Kootenays: March 1, College of the Rockies, Cranbrook and David Thompson Secondary, Invermere

• Lower Mainland Northwest:

• March 1, Eric Hamber Secondary, Vancouver

• March 6, Templeton Secondary, Vancouver

• March 12, Vancouver Community College, Vancouver

• March 14, Howe Sound Secondary, Squamish

• Online: March -8, three competitions run virtually provincewide - Mechanical CAD, TV Video Production and Website Design. Students have a five-day window to complete the projects and send them in to the Skills BC office.

• Lower Mainland Central:

• March 1, Hugh Boyd Secondary, Richmond

• March 6, Burnaby Central Secondary, Burnaby

• March 8, Cambie Secondary, Richmond

• March 9, Samuel Robertson Technical Secondary, Maple Ridge

• Peace: March 6 and 7, Northern Lights College, North Peace Senior Secondary, and Dawson Creek Secondary School, Dawson Creek

• Cariboo: March 8, Thompson Rivers University, Kamloops

• Central Okanagan:

• March 8, Okanagan College, Kelowna

• March 7, Mt. Boucherie Secondary, West Kelowna

• Northwest: March 8, Northwest Community College, Terrace

• Island Central: March 8, Vancouver Island University and Nanaimo District Secondary, Nanaimo

• Lower Fraser Valley:

• March 1, Clayton Heights Secondary, Surrey

• March 7, L.A. Matheson Secondary, Surrey

• March 8, Kwantlen Polytechnic University, Cloverdale and Enver Creek Secondary, Surrey

• Upper Fraser Valley March 14, University of the Fraser Valley, Chilliwack

• Island North: March 15, North Island College and Timberline Secondary, Campbell River

• Provincial competition: Abbotsford, April 17, Tradex

• National competition: BC Place, Vancouver, June 5-8, 2013

Contact:

Dan Gilmore
Communications Manager
Ministry of Advanced Education, Innovation and Technology
250 952-6400