Following a hiatus of a few years due to pandemic restrictions, the Regional Technological Skills Challenge returned on Wednesday, March 8, 2023 as secondary students in trades programs from across Grey and Bruce counties joined together to compete.
Hosted by the Ontario Youth Apprenticeship Program (OYAP) at Georgian College in Owen Sound, the premier local skilled trades event of the year featured competitions in the categories of Culinary and Welding. Students from Kincardine District Senior, Saugeen District Senior, John Diefenbaker Senior, Owen Sound District Secondary, and Grey Highlands Secondary schools were among those showcasing their abilities to local industry judges, who graded based on a range of criteria.
The top three students from each challenge were as follows:
Culinary
1. Taurin Almas – Kincardine District Senior School
2. Emaan Bilac – Saugeen District Senior School
3. Eric Berg – Saugeen District Senior School
Welding
1. Greg Stroeder – Owen Sound District Secondary School
2. Clayton Wood – John Diefenbaker Senior School
3. Joe Manley – Owen Sound District Secondary School
These six students will move on to compete at the Skills Ontario Qualifying Competitions in Barrie on Saturday, April 1, 2023.
Bluewater District School Board students have a long history of exceptional performance and bringing back the hardware at regional, provincial, and national skilled trades challenges. We wish all our student competitors the best of luck in the next round and commend all whose amazing efforts made this year’s return to the regionals a huge success.
Thanks are extended to OYAP, sponsors, partners, judges, technology teachers, and other staff, who assisted in ensuring a fantastic event, and for their tireless support of local students in exploring career pathways in the trades.