EDMONTON, ALTA. – It was a proud moment for College of the North Atlantic (CNA) students as they walked off the closing ceremony stage at Edmonton EXPO Centre with four medals at the 24th annual Skills Canada National Competition (SCNC) in Edmonton, Alberta.
The competition, held from June 3-6, had over 550 competitors from across the country who competed in the more than 40 competition areas highlighted at this pan-Canadian celebration of excellence in trade, technology and employability skill areas. Twenty of the 46 Team Newfoundland and Labrador competitors were from CNA.
CNA students on the receiving end of medals were: Anthony Leonard – Gold for IT Networking (Prince Philip Drive campus); Melissa Battiste – Silver for Cabinetmaking (Port aux Basques campus); Glenda Guest – Bronze for Architectural Technology and Design (Ridge Road campus); and, Stephen Kettle –Bronze in Refrigeration and Air Conditioning (Ridge Road campus).
Leonard also received the Best in the Region award for the highest competition score on Team Newfoundland and Labrador (NL).
CNA President & CEO Bill Radford said, “CNA has been a proud supporter of Skills Canada events for many years, and we look forward to participating in these competitions on provincial and national levels. Seeing our students compete alongside the best in the country — this time bringing home four medals from the national stage — is definitely an achievement we, as a skilled trade education provider, are proud of. We know that every year there is an extensive amount of hard work invested by our coaches, staff and students, and we are seeing the results of this time and time again. I would like to congratulate each of the winners, as well as the team, for showing pride in the talent and skills they have learned and will bring with them as they enter the workforce.”
The SCNC is the only national, multi-trade and technology competitive forum for students and apprentices in the country. It provides a national platform for Canadian youth to compete against each another, as well as gain hands-on work experience related to skilled trades and technology careers.
Chris Patey, CNA’s Dean of Industrial Trades, attended the event and was impressed at the knowledge and skills that the CNA competitors displayed.
“College of the North Atlantic is proud to support an amazing team of coaches and competitors in both the secondary and post-secondary level as they compete on the SCNC national stage. The awards our students have received is an outcome of the hard work and dedication of our staff and students as they strive to achieve excellence into becoming masters of their profession.”
Through these competitions, Skills Canada seeks to raise awareness about skilled trades and technology sectors to all Canadian youth, and inspire students and apprentices to continue the tradition of excellence in fields of skilled trades and technologies.
For a complete list of Team NL’s results, visit www.skillscompetencescanada.com
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Media Contacts:
Minal Abhange
Public Relations Specialist
College of the North Atlantic
709.643.7870
minal.abhange@cna.nl.ca
Jessica Baldwin
Communications Specialist
Skills Canada Newfoundland and Labrador
709.573.0170
jessicab@skillscanada.com