Nerves were starting to get to Morgan Plummer before the Skills Canada-Ontario qualifying competitions began Saturday morning.
The Grade 11 St. Patrick High School student participated in the carpentry contest at Confederation College and said before he got started on his project, he was feeling the pressure.
“You see the other competitors, it makes you think more. Should you have practiced more? Should you have prepared a little bit better?” he said.
Students in the carpentry competition were building doghouses in the Dorion Building on the college campus and Plummer said while the competition was tough, everyone was respectful, making sure others had their space and lending a hand when needed.
Plummer entered the competition in the hopes of winning and earning some name recognition with potential future employers.
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He plans on a career in carpentry and is looking to get an apprenticeship after high school.
“I was thinking of either automotive or carpentry. I wasn’t sure which one I wanted to do as a hobby and which I wanted to do as a job,” he said. “I like carpentry because it’s a lot more fun than automotive.”
Competitions were happening across the college campus Saturday. In addition to the carpentry contest, there were local high school students testing out their skills in welding, automotives, culinary arts, TV and video production and computer character animation.
The competitions are a way for students to translate what they’ve learned in the classroom to practical projects.
Carpentry apprenticeship program professor Todd Henry said the winning contestants in each category move to the provincial level and if successful there, move forward to the national contest.
He said the students were enthusiastic and fully engaged in the tasks they were given.
“It lets these young learners know where they stand, where their skill level stands,” he said, adding the competition is good exposure for them to the trades.
“The trades are really growing right now and there is a huge need for qualified tradesmen. Hopefully, this sparks their interest in going into those areas for a career,” he said.
