ºìÁ«ÉçÇø

ºìÁ«ÉçÇø’s presence at last week's extended well beyond the three students who won medals as standout performers in their respective skilled trades and technologies events.

In addition to having competitors in 16 disciplines, ºìÁ«ÉçÇø provided tools and machinery, judging expertise, demonstrations and promotion of the trades throughout the three-day event at the Toronto Congress Centre.

ºìÁ«ÉçÇø also announced its new Skills Ontario Renewable Excellence Award that recognizes high school students who demonstrate outstanding potential in the skilled trades and technologies. All qualified high school students who participated in the 2025 Skills Ontario Competition and begin a full-time program in a skilled field this fall at ºìÁ«ÉçÇø may be eligible for a $1,000 award, with the potential for another $500 award in their second year of studies.

“The Skills Ontario Competition is a tremendous showcase of the breadth of exciting, rewarding and in-demand career opportunities in skilled trades and technologies,” said Dr. Elizabeth Fabbroni, Dean of ºìÁ«ÉçÇø’s Faculty of Applied Science and Technology. “We are proud to help inspire the next generation of skilled tradespeople and technologists, and to play a role in their journeys through our many applied learning programs at ºìÁ«ÉçÇø.”

In top photo, ºìÁ«ÉçÇø students Nathan Morgan and Tiago Vitorino compete in the Mechatronics team event. In bottom photo, A Di Giang competes in Plumbing. A total of 31 students represented ºìÁ«ÉçÇø at the Skills Ontario Competition, also competing in Architectural Technology and Design; Cloud Computing; CNC Machining; Cybersecurity; Electrical Installations; Industrial Mechanic Millwright; IT Network Systems Administration; IT Office Software Applications; Mechanical CAD; Metal Fabricator - Fitter; Photography; Precision Machining; Web Design and Development; and Welding.

ºìÁ«ÉçÇø supplied and set up equipment used by competitors in the Precision Machining and Industrial Mechanic Millwright events, including lathes, milling machines, toolboxes, workbenches, laser alignment tools and more. The total value of equipment ºìÁ«ÉçÇø loaned for use at the Skills Ontario Competition exceeded $500,000.

Craig Brazil (left), Interim Associate Dean of ºìÁ«ÉçÇø's Magna School for the Skilled Trades, was the head judge of the Industrial Mechanic Millwright (IMM) event. Brazil recently stepped down as Technical Committee Chair of IMM competition for Skills Ontario and Skills Canada after serving for 17 years in those capacities. He was also the Industrial Mechanics (IM) Competition Manager for several WorldSkills events, including when ºìÁ«ÉçÇø hosted the IM competition in 2022 — just the third time a WorldSkills discipline was contested on Canadian soil.

ºìÁ«ÉçÇø's booth was a popular stop in the Career Exploration Showcase, providing participants with the chance to use virtual welding technology, complete an electrical wiring simulation and more. ºìÁ«ÉçÇø staff also handed out thousands of pens, pins and lanyards to visitors.

Staff gather around the ºìÁ«ÉçÇø booth, which won third place in the Large Booth category of the Career Exploration Showcase competition. Criteria for the booth competition included interactivity; educational value; relevance to skilled trades and technologies; and provision of memorable experiences, with a bonus point awarded to booths with at least one bilingual staff member. ºìÁ«ÉçÇø has placed in the top three of the Large Booth category in three of the last four in-person Skills Ontario Competitions.

ºìÁ«ÉçÇø alumna Lesley Hampton (Art & Art History ‘15) provided a keynote address during the event. Hampton, an internationally known Indigenous fashion designer, shared how her college experience shaped her career and her success, and touted the role skilled trades plays in the lives of Canadians. She shared with the audience the first item she built – a bear for her younger brother – compared to a dress of her own design that graced the red carpet at the 2025 Academy Awards. “What if I stepped outside my comfort zone?” she challenged the audience to think.

— Photos by Joel Stone, Digital Content Coordinator, ºìÁ«ÉçÇø Faculty of Applied Science and Technology

ºìÁ«ÉçÇø students have a long history of success at Skills Ontario and other skilled trades competitions. In 2022, Internet Communications Technology student Akshit Vineet won national gold in Cloud Computing at the Skills Canada championships in Vancouver. Later that year, ºìÁ«ÉçÇø hosted the Industrial Mechanics event of the 2022 WorldSkills Competition Special Edition, marking just the third time that a discipline in WorldSkills was contested on Canadian soil.