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Loyalist Brings Home Gold and Two Silvers from Skills Competition

May 14, 2012

Provincial Event Celebrates Skilled Trades and Technologies as First-Choice Career Options

Belleville, Ontario, May 14, 2012 – Loyalist College is proud to announce that it has won gold and two silver medals at the Ontario Technological Skills Competition, which took place in Waterloo, Ontario, on Monday, April 30th and Tuesday, May 1st. The first place prize of $1,200 in Precision Machining went to Loyalist student Ranbir Ajji, who has completed his first year of the Manufacturing Engineering Technician program. A second place prize for Mechanical CAD was received by Vincent Ramsperger, who will graduate from the Manufacturing Engineering Technician program at Loyalist next month. In addition, a second place prize for Auto Service Technology was achieved by Joel Fallaise, who has completed his Level 2A in Loyalist’s Automotive Apprenticeship program.

“We are so impressed with the six students who represented our College at the competition,” said Loyalist President, Maureen Piercy. “That half of them received accolades speaks to the high caliber of our new Skills Centre facilities and the dedication of our faculty in preparing students to excel in simulated as well as real skilled trades environments. This has been our most successful year at the provincial event, in part because of the insight we gained while hosting our own Skills Competition in March of this year.”

As the largest skilled trades competition in Canada, the Ontario Technological Skills Competition provides 60+ career-focused contest areas within 340,000 square feet of Waterloo’s RIM Park and Manulife Sportsplex. Skills Canada – Ontario, a not-for-profit organization dedicated to promoting skilled trades careers, has been hosting the Olympics-style competition for more than two decades. This year, 19,000 competitors from elementary, secondary and post-secondary schools converged to compete in front of 30,000+ spectators in everything from aircraft maintenance to aesthetics and welding to web design.

“It’s an honour to win and I would like to thank the faculty at Loyalist for supporting me,” said Ranbir who is working as a summer student at Tyco Thermal Controls in Trenton. “At the competition, it wasn’t easy to complete a milling and lathe project under pressure and tight timelines, but I was able to make the most of the advanced machines, which are very similar to the ones we use at Loyalist. This experience has increased my confidence as I start my documentation position within the maintenance department of Tyco.”

With the combined pressures of an aging population and increasingly sophisticated technology in the workplace, employers are concerned about finding qualified candidates now and in the future. Using Government of Canada data, the projected shortfall in the availability of workers is expected to rise to at least 1.4 million and possibly to as high as 3.9 million by 2031, according to Dr. Rick Miner’s March 2012 report, titled Jobs of the Future: Options and Opportunities. He anticipates that by 2031, we will need 77% of our workforce to have post-secondary credentials, compared to 60% today.

“It can be a challenge to find skilled workers,” said Roger Lichty, owner of Bay Subaru. “So we were pleased to welcome Loyalist Automotive Apprentice Joel Fallaise to our team. From his knowledge of equipment and skill level that I’ve seen at the dealership, it’s no surprise that he finished second out of 16 post-secondary students from all across Ontario.”

Ontario Technological Skills Competition – For a list of all the 2012 results, please visit:

http://www.skillsontario.com/images/pdf/otsc_results_2012

Loyalist College prepares students for a rewarding career by combining rigorous academic standards with hands-on training from industry experts. Programs range from apprenticeships and certificates to diplomas and post-graduate studies. Loyalist offers more than 60 full-time programs and 77 university transfer agreements around the world. The best testament to the College’s value is from students, 97 percent of whom say they would recommend Loyalist to a friend. Loyalist is committed to helping students find great jobs, as well as supporting and enhancing the economic and social development of all individuals in its communities.

Loyalist College Brings Home Gold and Two Silvers from the 2012 Ontario Technological Skills Competition in Waterloo

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For more information contact:

Kerry Lorimer

Media Relations Specialist

Loyalist College

613-969-1913 ext. 2536

klorimer@loyalistc.on.ca

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