Next generation of tradespeople compete at Limestone Skills event in Kingston

Despite reading week, St. Lawrence College in Kingston was abuzz with activity on Thursday.

Alan Macdonald, a teacher at Loughborough Public School, expressed his admiration for the students, stating, “I’m consistently blown away by their sophistication, their intelligence and how much they care. The future’s in good hands when I see young leaders like these guys.”

The Limestone District School Board hosted its annual skilled trades event, where students interested in the trades competed against one another.

“Our numbers of students competing are higher than ever. Which is great, lots of industry partners are here as well. So lots going on, lots of excitement and lots of buzz,” Geoff Petznick, an expanded opportunities consultant at LDSB, said.

More than 40 skills were on display between elementary and secondary school levels, ranging from welding to carpentry, robotics, electrical work, and even some new events like floristry and landscape design.

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“We’re in the challenge program at our school so we like challenges, we like competitions and projects and having fun exploring new things that we can do,” Claire Zuliniak, a student at Loughborough Public School, commented.

Another student, Claire Bowman, added, “There’s creative room in it. We can help design a future for this school and the land with it.”

Organizers likened the day to their own KASSAA or EOSSAA, providing students with something to work towards while incorporating an element of competition. It’s also a way for students to test out possible career paths before they graduate.

“If you’re looking for a great next employee, here’s where you would come. So we’ll see kids walking away, especially at the provincial level, with business cards saying ‘please call me, we’d love to hire you’,” Petznick said while highlighting the potential for employment opportunities.

Similar to their counterparts on the scholastic playing field, winners from the day’s competition will advance from regional to provincial events and could ultimately compete nationally too. But it all begins with a hands-on experience that could ignite new career aspirations for participants.