The 2023 Skills Canada National Competition was held from May 24-27, 2023 at the RBC Convention Center in Winnipeg, Manitoba.
Grace Nakazi, and Luke De Sousa, two Monsignor Doyle CSS students, represented the Waterloo Catholic DSB as part of Team Ontario at #SCNC2023!
Luke De Sousa took home a SILVER medal in the Secondary Cabinetmaking contest, testing his skills in the safe operation of woodworking machines, portable power tools and hand tools.
Competitors were tasked to use the provided drawings to demonstrate hard work, machining skills, sanding and assembly techniques to build their project to a professional standard.
Luke’s focus and passion over the two-day competition was unmatched. He was coached for this contest by Monsignor Doyle Teacher, Julie McNab.
Congratulations to both Luke and Ms. McNab on this outstanding achievement!
Grace Nakazi engaged the audience on Day 1 of the Secondary Public Speaking Contest, answering the question: How can people be enticed to enter skilled trades and technology careers?
The second day of the competition saw Grace delivering an impromptu speech, with only 2 minutes to prepare and 3 minutes to present. Her ability to capture an audience and to preform under immense pressure, established her as a contender in a tight race to the podium.
Grace earned 6th place in Canada, with abundant praise from the judges, her peers, and mentors about both her speeches. Grace was coached by professional public speaker, Alyssa “Twist” Light, and Pathways and Placement Officer, Solange Saraiva.
Congratulations to Grace, Twist, and Ms. Saraiva on this performance on the national stage.
As a Province, Ontario brought home a total of 39 medals (15 Gold, 14 Silver, 10 Bronze) in 45 competition areas, representing six sectors: construction, employment, information technology, manufacturing & engineering, and transportation.
To view the 2023 Skills Canada National Competition highlight reel, check out Skills Canada on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iq17qoOBj_s
