The following statement was given today in the House of Assembly by the Honourable Darin King, Minister of Education:

Skills Canada — Team Newfoundland and Labrador Shines
at 16th Annual Canadian Skills Competition

It is my pleasure to congratulate Team Newfoundland and Labrador 2010 on being awarded ten medals from the 16th Annual Canadian Skills Competition, which was held recently in Waterloo, Ontario.

Over 600 high school, post-secondary and apprenticeship students from every province and territory competed in 40 competitions for the honour of being named the best in the country.

The Canadian Skills Competition is organized by Skills Canada to profile technology and trade careers.

Award winners from this province include:
Bronze award winners were Marc Burton, Stephanie House and Alexandria Matthews.
Silver awards winners were Emma Power and Ryan Skanes.

And I am pleased to announce that Kyle Kearsey, Timothy McDavid, Andrew Power, Stephen Rogers and Jamie Warren were all recipients of a gold medal award. College of the North Atlantic student, Stephen Rogers was awarded the Best of Region Award, which goes to the competitor with the highest mark in the province.

Andrew Power, also of the College of the North Atlantic, earned a spot on Team Canada and will go on to represent the country at the 41st World Skills Competition in London, England, in the fall of 2011.

The Provincial Government is a proud supporter of Skills Canada Newfoundland and Labrador and of the Canadian Skills Competition.

In 2009-10, the Department of Human Resources, Labour and Employment, the Department of Education and the Department of Innovation, Trade and Rural Development provided $100,000 in funding to Skills Canada.

In November of last year, our government officially launched Creating a Province of Choice: A Youth Retention and Attraction Strategy for Newfoundland and Labrador. The strategy was developed in collaboration with youth with the intent of countering the impacts of out-migration, strengthening the labour market and supporting the economic development of our province. Our partnership with Skills Canada and the interest they have created in skilled trades shows that our strategy is indeed working.

I know I speak for my Honourable colleagues and indeed for all members of this Honourable house when I offer each award winner congratulations on a job well done.

2010 06 14                                                 1:50 p.m.