May 01 - May 03, 2017
650 Dixon Rd, Etobicoke, ON M9W 1J1

The Skills Ontario Competition is coming to the GTA this May, hosted at the Toronto Congress Centre, May 1-3, 2017.

The Skills Ontario Competition is an apt opportunity to highlight and celebrate the not only the young talent in our province, but also the important partnerships between Skills Ontario, industry, education, and government organizations that help bring skill development for youth to the forefront.

Over 2,200 elementary, secondary, and post-secondary students will converge on the GTA to showcase and test their skills in 68 unique skilled trade and technology contests. Everything from baking to welding, robotics to fashion design will be represented, as students compete for gold, silver, and bronze medals, as well as monetary awards and job offers in select contest areas, offered by partnered organizations.

Skills Ontario partners also provide $10 million of in-kind support for the materials needed to host the over 2000 competitors.

Additionally, more than 22,000 students and other guests from all over the province will visit the Skills Ontario Competition. During the course of this massive three-day event, the lives of many young competitors and visitors will be positively changed forever – from gaining new self-confidence by pushing their skills to a higher level, to winning a medal, or simply meeting a new mentor and discovering new career opportunities that they didn’t know existed.

Skills Ontario hosts several events in conjunction with the Skills Ontario Competition:

Monday, May 1:

• Elementary Technology Day – 3,600 Elementary Students participate in skill workshops and challenges
• Young Women’s Conference – Over 700 female Elementary Students connect with mentors and try out a range of hands-on activities

Tuesday, May 2:

• Young Women’s Conference – Over 700 female Secondary Students connect with mentors and try out a range of hands-on activities
• First Nations, Métis, and Inuit Students Conference – over 140 First Nations, Métis, and Inuit students and stakeholders gather to celebrate the successes and opportunities for First Nations, Métis, and Inuit youth in the skilled trades and technologies

The Skills Ontario Competition is no doubt one of the best news stories in Ontario, and there is so much to be excited about.

The competition represents a culmination of the work that Skills Ontario does in communities across Ontario year-round by getting young Ontarians involved in career exploration conferences, workshops, skill demonstrations – and of course 68 unique skilled trade and technology contests – all under one roof.

This year, the Skills Ontario Qualifying Competitions take place on Saturday, April 1st at eight colleges across the province: Cambrian College, Canadore College, Confederation College, Fanshawe College, Georgian College, Humber College, Niagara College, and St. Lawrence College.

Mark your calendars for May 1-3, 2017 and join us at the Skills Ontario Competition, at the Toronto Congress Centre!

If you would like more information about the Skills Ontario Competition, please contact me, Anne Ramsay, Manager of Communications, Skills Ontario at aramsay@skillsontario.com or 519-749-9899 x 230.