Seventy high school students spent a Saturday recently at the College of Carpenters and Allied Trades (CCAT) in Vaughan to build sheds, picnic tables and other wood projects as part of the 15th Toronto District Catholic School Board Carpentry Skills Competition.
The annual event set a “participation record” which event chairperson John Lopreiato attributes largely to the growing interest students in Grades 9 to 12 have in the field.
“The students were here on a Saturday not because they had to be but because they wanted to be,” says Lopreiato, an instructor at Father Henry Carr Catholic Secondary School in Toronto.
The competition was broken down into several categories and projects with some students working on their own and others in a team.
Using blueprints, the participants either framed a small shed that included two door openings, built outdoor tables or, using cabinet-making skills, created a small interior table.
Participants were judged on safety, accuracy, layout, details and the effective use of the materials, says Lopreiato.
Winners in each category go on to compete with students from other school boards at a Skills Ontario Competition in May with the hope of making it to the Skills Canada National Competition.
He says the school board’s construction technology program has proven a magnet for many students.
“We have teachers with real-world carpentry experience who pique the interest of students and word spreads to other students,” says Lopreiato, who was an architect before moving into teaching high school.
While the negative attitudes of some parents to the building trades has been a barrier to seeing more kids enter the field, competitions like the event at the CCAT allow parents to attend and watch what their kids can do.
“It can really help break down barriers,” Lopreiato says.
He adds programs such as the Ontario Youth Apprenticeship Program and SHSM (Specialist High Skills Major) “are drawing more kids like these ones to the trades.”
Nicole Ross, who has been involved through her high school as a chair and coach in the annual carpentry skills competition for years, says the event draws high school students with anything from one semester to two years of experience in carpentry.
Last year one of her students won the competition, went on to place first at the Skills Ontario Competition and placed in the Skills Canada Competition as well, says Ross, an instructor at Neil McNeil High School in Toronto.
“It is a good way get a bunch of kids who excel or are interested in this kind of experience to give them a chance to be exposed to carpentry or be showcased for what they can do,” says Ross, who was a journeyperson carpenter before moving into teaching.
Mark Russo, of Carpenters’ Local 27, says it is important to give high school students an introduction to the diverse range of jobs and skillsets carpenters need.
“There is a lot more to carpentry than just working with wood.”
Scaffolding is a case in point. The union local was part of a hands-on event where students from a catholic high school participated in the erection of scaffolding, a major component of the work carpenters do in the ICI sector.
The scaffolding, supervision and instruction were provided by union contractor Don Fry Scaffold Service Inc. in conjunction with Neil McNeil High.
Russo says that event’s success has Local 27 looking to do it again as well as organize other “carpentry days” that revolve around formwork, framing, cladding, office systems or other carpentry work.
Recent Comments
comments for this post are closed