Not-for-profit organization Skills/Compétences Canada, which actively promotes careers in skilled trades including auto servicing and collision repair, is on its way to Leipzig, Germany, where its team of young skilled tradespeople will face off against rivals from around the world in the bi-annual WorldSkills Competition.
The 35 members of Team Canada (27 men and eight women who won regional, provincial and national skills contests) will compete against more than 900 rivals from 54 WorldSkills International Member countries/regions in team and individual competitions for the chance of earning the title of world champion within their skilled trade and technology category.
“Preparing for WorldSkills Leipzig 2013 has been an intensive process for the Team Canada competitors,” said Shaun Thorson, chief executive officer, Skills/Compétences Canada.
“With support and encouragement from the Government of Canada, industry leaders and educators, these young people are poised to become Canada’s next generation skilled trade and technology workers, and we couldn’t be more proud.”
The Honourable Diane Finley, federal Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development, added that “I would like to wish everyone at Team Canada all the best at the 42nd WorldSkills Competition. Today’s youth are tomorrow’s workforce, so by investing in skills development for young people, we are helping them contribute to Canada’s long-term growth and overall prosperity,” Finley said.
The WorldSkills Competition is the largest skills competition, jobs and careers event in the world, representing 45 trades — over 2,000 experts, 3,000 volunteers and 200,000 visitors will be participating. The event serves to advance vocational skills education and training worldwide, enabling competitors to network, share best practices and gain invaluable experience and training that they can carry into their careers.
