Top trade students from local public high schools have begun their competitive journey toward the gold medal in the 2025 Skills Ontario Competition.
Nathan Caputo, a Grade 11 Hammarskjold High School student, was one of six students from the Lakehead Public Board competing in the team carpentry competition at the Carpenters Union Local, 1669, last week. Caputo aspires to one day own and operate a welding company specializing in heavy equipment repairs, and a fabrication shop as well.
“Competing in this today is important for me,” he said, while moving cut wood to an arbor bench that he was challenged to construct. “It’s a really good learning experience and it’s fun to build things.”
The six students were to work in teams of two through this segment of the competition, but Caputo’s teammate was absent, leaving him to do the job solo.
“The project isn’t that difficult and working without a partner is not that bad. I’ve gotten a little help from the teachers here,” Caputo said, adding he hopes he scores a few bonus points for competing on his own.
Roger Drcar, the Lakehead Public School student success resource teacher, recruiter and specialist high school majors lead, said the Skills Ontario Competition is a great opportunity for top students to demonstrate that they are the best in their field.
“They’re showing confidence, they’re showing their skills, they’re asking good questions and they really shine,” Drcar said.
The competition is divided into segments for all trade sectors. Thunder Bay students will compete in carpentry, welding and culinary divisions over the next few months with the winners heading to Toronto to compete in the provincials.
“We are allotted (limited) spots, but there’s a lot of interest in welding,” Drcar said. “Because there are not enough spots in Toronto for everybody, we will have a Skills Ontario regional competition at the beginning of April at Confederation College.”
He explained that school boards from the region will have three spots for students to compete in.
“But we have interest of six students to compete for those three spots. So this week we’re having a pre-regional competition to find out what three students move on to the regional competition,” he said. “Then those three winners from the regional competition move on to Toronto.”
The students include three from Westgate Collegiate and Vocational Institute and three from Superior Collegiate and Vocational Institute.
Drcar added, “We also have two students that will be competing in the individual carpentry division at the regional competition, and two students that will be competing in culinary, at the regional competition at the college in April.”
Meanwhile, the Carpenters’ Union Local 1669 provided judges for the team carpentry competition on Tuesday.
Josh Noga, a business representative with the local, said the competition is a good opportunity for the students to learn how to use time management, how to use the tools properly, and how to work progressively as a team.
“We’ve had a partnership with the Lakehead public school board for the last six years, doing the high skilled majors training on the health and safety end of it, “ Noga said. “We take pride in this, because it shows the next generation of potential carpenters that they can come to the union and have a fulfilment of a good career here with us as well.”
Winners of the provincial level are awarded with gold, silver or bronze medals as well as some with monetary awards and the opportunity to compete at the Skills Canada National Competition. From there, competitors could be headed to a World Skills Competition.
