Whitby and Ajax high schoolers Skill-it at Skills Canada technology competition

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Published July 5, 2021 at 8:25 pm

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A Brooklin High School student with a passion for photography and a Pickering High software whiz took home medals from the annual nation-wide Skills Canada competition.

Brooklin’s Matthew Bennett, earned double gold, taking the top prize in the Skills Ontario contest, which vaulted him to the national finals where he again won gold.

Pickering High’s Sri Vanama, a student at Pickering High School in Ajax, took gold in IT Software Applications in the Skills Ontario competition and silver in the Skills Canada showcase.

Each year, Skills Ontario hosts a skills competition and career exploration fair for students at the elementary level all the way to post-secondary. This year, with the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic in mind, the 2021 Skills Ontario Competition was hosted virtually for both competitors and spectators.

From April 22 to May 7, in teams or independently, students competed in various skilled trades competitions via live video calls or by submitting longer-term projects.

Three secondary and six elementary students won medals at the Provincial competition. Joining Bennett and Vanama on the podium from Durham’s high schools was Saismetha Visukamar, a fellow student of Vanama at Pickering High who took silver in IT Office Software Applications.

The ‘Mentors’ of the students were also honoured. Vanama and Visnukumar shared a mentor in Geetha Nair, while Bennett’s mentor was Lydia Keen.

Elementary school medalists included Lily and Meganne of William Dunbar Public School in Pickering (Gold), Ava and Margie of Prince Albert Public School in Scugog (Silver) – both in Technology Design; James of Northern Dancer Public School in Oshawa (Silver) and Ayesha of Applecroft Public School in Ajax (Bronze) – both in TV/Video Production.

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