By Staff
May 12th, 2025
BURLINGTON, ON
Halton District School Board (HDSB) students excelled at the annual Skills Ontario Competition, held on May 5 and 6 at the Toronto Congress Centre. The Skills Ontario Competition offers students a unique opportunity to demonstrate that they are the best of the best in their field, enabling and empowering youth to consider a career in the skilled trades and technologies.
From the HDSB, 27 elementary and secondary students have earned Gold, Silver and Bronze awards in 13 various technological challenges. For secondary students, this provincial competition is a qualifier for the Skills Canada National Competition to be held later in May.
Gold Medal Winners:
Jacob Bondarenko, Grade 12 student at Nelson High School, for Auto Collision Repair- Sabina Armstrong, Grade 12 student at Nelson High School, for Auto Painting
- Adam Scruby, Grade 11 student at Aldershot School, for Mechanical CAD
- Bella Zhao and Tegan Tao, Grade 11 students at Garth Webb Secondary School, for 2D Character Animation
- Neel Shah, Grade 10 student at Abbey Park High School, for IT Network Systems Administration
- Miles D, Charley D, Hannah P and Chloe R, Grade 4-6 students at Maplehurst Public School, for Lego Mechanical Engineering
- Melody Z, Aidan S, Bonnie C and Max T, Grade 7-8 students at Post’s Corners Public School, for Technology
Silver Medal Winners:
- Jessica Wang, Grade 11 student at Garth Webb Secondary School, for Computer Aided Manufacturing
- Manuthi R, Paige W, Agastya V and Elsa H, Grade 4-6 students from Stewarttown Middle School, for Character Animation
Bronze Medal Winners:
- Sienna Mason, Grade 11 student at Garth Webb Secondary School, for Fashion Design
- Neng Li, Grade 12 student at Abbey Park High School, for Coding
- Bronwyn Elms and Suhana Khatri, Grade 11 students at Abbey Park High School, for TV and Video Production
- Abu-Ubaidah A, Noel C, Mrinal G, Aryan D, Grade 7-8 students from Sam Sherratt Public School, for Vex IQ Robotics
The HDSB offers a number of opportunities to learn about and gain experience in the skilled trades, providing students with confidence, abilities and the opportunity to be successful in any situation.
Hammers, saws and wrenches were once the tools for many of the trades. Computers and students who can write code are now a big part of the job for today’s students.
“The outstanding achievements of our students at the Skills Ontario Competition are a testament to their hard work, talent and the high-quality learning experiences provided through opportunities like the Halton Skills Competition,” says Curtis Ennis, Director of Education for the Halton District School Board. He adds that: “Their success at the provincial level reflects not only their technical skill but also the confidence, problem-solving abilities, and resilience they’ve developed along the way. These hands-on competitions play a vital role in fulfilling our commitment to Learning, Engagement and Achievement.
