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Students prepare for skills competition Featured
A long-term care home in Amherstview is proudly watching the accomplishments of two student workers who are headed to a provincial skills competition this spring.
Speaking from Helen Henderson Care Centre where they work as Dietary Students, Nic Sparkes, 17, and Gracie Locke, 17, are representing their respective schools at the Skills Ontario Competition in Toronto this May.
The competition is for students enrolled in elementary and secondary schools in Ontario. There are nine categories at the elementary level and approximately 67 categories at the secondary level which range from aircraft maintenance to welding.
Representing Bayridge Secondary School in Kingston, Gracie is competing in baking. Nic is part of a four-person team from Ernestown Secondary School competing in home and team building.
“I’m kind of nervous; I don’t know what to expect,” says Gracie about the upcoming competition where she will be judged on food safety, presentation, taste, and texture. Gracie won her school category with a chocolate sponge cake, eclairs, cookies, bread, and buns. For three weeks leading up to the competition, she baked every day.
“I bake for fun, and I was happy to win baking at my school,” she explains. “This provincial competition is going to be a lot harder.”
“I’m pretty excited we won the competition,” says Nic about his effort to qualify for the provincials after building a 4 X 4 shed at St. Lawrence College. “I practiced twice to perfect the roof. We were judged on craftsmanship,” he explains. “We were the first group in 15 years to finish the entire project.”
To prepare for the competition at the Toronto Congress Centre on May 6 and 7, Gracie has been baking cakes, cookies, buns, bread, and choux pastries. When she arrives, she will be told to bake a specific item and provided a theme and ingredients. Nic will work with three other students to build and finish a shed. The competition is organized by Skills Ontario which works to build Ontario’s skilled trades and technologies workforce.
Speaking on behalf of the home, Food Nutrition Services Manager Shaun Stephenson notes, “When I found out that Gracie and Nic had won their respective skills competition, I wasn’t at all surprised. Both seem to take their education seriously and excel in their student positions here at Helen Henderson Care Centre.”
“The Skills Ontario Competition offers a unique opportunity for top students to demonstrate that they are the best of the best in their field,” says Skills Ontario. “Over the two and a half days, they turn the heads of their educators, family, friends and prospective employers. Winners are awarded with gold, silver or bronze medals - and some with monetary awards, too - and the opportunity to compete at the Skills Canada National Competition. From there, competitors could be headed to a WorldSkills Competition.”
“Skills gives exposure to the possibilities of different career paths that are available that speak to the individual that they might not have been aware of,” says a teacher about the benefits of competing. It also allows for them to take pride in skill sets that they have, just like they take pride in the ability to participate in a sport or a given art. Participating against your peers can show where your skill set is in relation to others. The value this brings to the skilled trades is immense. Getting more eyes and ears on the trades is the best way to promote them, through the future workforce in our students.”
Helen Henderson Care Centre is proud of the skills and hard work demonstrated by Gracie Locke and Nic Sparkes who are competing at the provincial school level in May 2024. To learn more about living or working in our home, please call 613-384-4585.