Four students from the Estevan Comprehensive School will be heading off to Quebec City in early June to compete in the national Skills Canada competition.
The four earned gold medals at the provincial level, earning the right to represent ECS and the province at the national level.
Five other ECS students earned silver medals in this year's provincial competition in Moose Jaw.
There were a total of 102 provincial medals handed out at the closing ceremonies April 15 with a total of 38 gold medalists advancing to the Quebec City competition June 1-4. More than 350 of Saskatchewan's most talented secondary, post-secondary and apprentice students competed in the 13th annual Skills Canada event in the Band City.
Darylanne (D.J.) Hamelin who earned her gold medal in architectural technology and design and Tiana Whitman who scored her gold medal for hairstyling will be joined by Blake Alexus and John Elder who received their gold medals in television video production. All medals were earned in the secondary school category.
Other medal winners included: Alyssa Harris, a silver medal in esthetics; Ryan Olsen, a silver in cabinet making, Ashlie Challner, a silver in hairstyling, Kyla Deitz, a silver for mechanical technology and Brittany Blackburn, a silver in welding.
Tiana's gold medal performance was particularly interesting because she was in Moose Jaw only as an observer, not an contestant.
"When we got there, we discovered there was an extra opening in the hairstyling competition, so Tiana got the seat and then she came through with a gold. That was certainly a pleasant development for everyone," said Brian Wright, one of the instructors who will be accompanying the four-member ECS team to Quebec.
There were a number of classifications in this year's provincial event including robotics, precision machining, autobody repair and commercial cooking along with those disciplines previously mentioned.
"Each year the competition in Saskatchewan gets tougher - the skill level of our competitors is incredible," said Brenda Bathgate, executive director of Skills Canada Saskatchewan. "It takes a lot of talent, perseverance, practice and excellent instructors to medal at this event."
"Saskatchewan businesses are concerned about the shortage of skilled workers. These students are the future: they're mastering the skills our businesses need to remain competitive," said Mark Gettle, chairman of the Skills Canada Saskatchewan board. "Each of the competitors have learned practical skills that will serve them well for their entire careers."
Tiana, the last minute entrant, said she and other competitors, including her teammate Ashlie, spend additional training hours leading up to the provincial competition with the hopes of being chosen as one of the ECS representatives.
Mark Kroeker, who teaches the welding and machining classes at ECS, along with Tara Johns in architectural design and mechanical technology are joined by Joyce Mack in the hairstyling and esthetics department; Don Vollman in cabinet making and Wright (TV video production) as the instructors for this year's medal-winning group.
Some of the ECS entrants are in Grade 11 which offers them an opportunity to return to the competition again next year in the secondary school division.
"There are a few changes every year at the provincial level, so that keeps us as teachers on our toes," said Wright. "Plus, we never know what might be allowed each year. For instance, this year we were allowed to bring our own editing equipment in the video competition, that's an advantage."
Making the cut at the school level can become an intense situation for the students. Kroeker said that the educators are always "looking for additional expressions of interest from the kids themselves, then, of course, there is the checking on their specific skill levels. If they have that, then they have a good chance of getting to the provincial competition."
"We're looking for the kids who have a real passion for the subject," Wright added.
"When we find that, then it's up to us (teachers) to take it up one level more with them, to get them ready," said Johns.
"In most cases, these students' skill sets are already a bit better, so we help them improve on that," said Wright.
The educators noted that the demand for certain spots in the technical skills courses is growing and sometimes not all the students are able to register in the courses due to the limitations on class spaces.
They also noted that it is a continual challenge for the school and the school division to ensure they keep abreast of the changing times in terms of equipment upgrades and the instructional skill sets that go along with the technological changes.
"If we don't do that, then it'll be pretty tough for these kids to co-relate to the real world out there," said Wright.
Wright, Kroeker and Johns agreed with the statement that the skill sets of the provincial competitors have improved dramatically over the past few years.
"Skills that won our students gold medals six years ago, wouldn't even place them in the top five now," said Wright.
The educators said they fear the struggle to keep pace with the new technology and the need for new equipment every couple of years, will be intensified in the next couple of years.
"Equipment prices keep going up, but unfortunately, our budget doesn't," said Wright. "We have to keep looking for decent equipment. We may not get the newest of anything, but we certainly try and with that, the teachers have to be updated too, to stay proficient at a good, strong teaching level and that takes additional time."
The four ECS students will be flying out of Regina with their teacher/coaches on May 31 or June 1 and will hopefully get a chance to scope out their various testing venues in Quebec City prior to the start of the actual competitions.
