NB Students to Compete for Gold in National Skilled Trades and Technologies Olympiad

National Competition Winners May Represent Canada in Future Competitions

FREDERICTON, NB, June 3, 2013 /CNW/ - Skills/Compétences Canada^® and Irving Oil today announced the names of 33 New Brunswick student apprentices in the skilled trades and technologies who have won their qualifying competitions and will represent their province in the 19^th Skills Canada National Competition (SCNC) to take place June 5-8, 2013 in Vancouver. A list of the winners, their trades or technologies, and their schools is attached.

Skills/Compétences Canada^® is a national, not-for-profit organization that actively promotes careers in skilled trades and technologies to Canadian youth. Irving Oil, whose operations involve 15 trades including steamfitter-pipefitter, electrician, millwright, crane operator, heavy equipment operator, carpenter,  boilermaker, insulator, and power engineer, has long been a supporter of the Skills Canada NB qualifying competitions and is active in instituting collaborative programs that encourage NB youth to enter the skilled trades.

Since 1994, the SCNC is the only national, Olympic-style, multi-trade and technology competition for young students and apprentices in the country. Every year, the event brings together more than 500 young people from all regions of Canada, along with their parents and advisors, to compete in over 40 trade and technology areas.

"These Olympic-style competitions are highly exacting and rigorous, so we are very proud of our NB qualifying winners," said Luc Morin of Skills Canada NB. "They have prevailed in their chosen disciplines through extremely tough competitions against their peers in local, regional and provincial events, and they will now have the honour of representing our province in the national arena."

"The hard work and talent of these young people who will represent New Brunswick in the SCNC are inspiring, and we applaud them for their dedication to their craft." said Mark Sherman, General Manager, Irving OIl Refinery. "The Skills Canada competitions they participate in will encourage all of our young people to gain the very highest-quality workplace skills they'll need to make their future, and the entire province's future, a bright one."

The Skills Canada National Competition is held every year and every two years it is the process for selecting the members of Team Canada who will then go on to compete in the WorldSkills Competition. Selection for the 2013 WorldSkills competition which will be held this July in Leipzig, Germany were selected in the 2012 SkillsCanada competition held in Edmonton, Alberta.

About Skills Canada NB
Skills/Compétences Canada^®, a national, not-for-profit organization, encourages and supports a coordinated Canadian approach to promoting skilled trades and technologies to youth. For a complete listing of all events and locations for the SCNC, please visit http://skillscompetencescanada.com/en/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/SCNCgen-Competition-rules_EN.5apr13.pdf

About Irving Oil
Irving Oil is a privately owned regional energy and marketing company that provides eastern Canada and New England with the highest-quality products and customer service. Founded in 1924 and based in Saint John, New Brunswick, Irving Oil maintains a strong tradition of public service and partnerships within its host communities. For information about Irving Oil, visit www.irvingoil.com.

TEAM SKILLS CANADA NB 2013 www.skillscanada.nb.ca

SKILLS CANADA NATIONAL COMPETITION

(VANCOUVER, BC from June 5^TH to June 8^th, 2013)  www.skillscanada.com

Name	Contest Area	School/ Training Institution
Ryan Boyd	CNC Machining	CCNB Bathurst
Émilie Caissie	Workplace Safety	Polyvalente W.A.Losier
Dayne Caron	Heavy Equipment Service	CCNB Bathurst
Brandon Chapman	Web Site Development	NBCC Saint John
Alison Chiasson	IT-Software Solutions for Business	C.S.C. La Fontaine
Robert Cormier	Automotive Service	CCNB Bathurst
Marilène David	Fashion Technology	École Marie-Esther
Françis Doiron	Cooking	Polyvalente Louis-Mailloux
Cody Donovan	Sheet Metal Work	NBCC Moncton
Joshua Faucher	Cabinetmaking	Oromocto High School
William Gourley	Architectural Technology & Design (CADD)	Oromocto High School
Dustin Grasse	Carpentry	Oromocto High School
Michel Haché	Cabinetmaking	CCNB Campbellton
Jordan Jardine	Plumbing	NBCC Saint John
Clarke Johnstone	Precision Machining	NBCC Moncton
Monika Lasangue	Restaurant Service	NBCC Saint Andrews
Christian LeBlanc	Welding	CCNB Bathurst
Gabriel Levesque	Autobody Repair	CCNB Bathurst
Pascal Marquis	Brick Masonry	NBCC Woodstock
Daryll McLean	Carpentry	NBCC Saint John
Morgan McKnight	Esthetics	Majestany Institute Fredericton
Rachel Milne	TV & Video Production (Team of 2)	St-Malachy's Memorial High
Jennifer Mitton	Hairstyling	Atlantic Hairstyling Academy
Marc Paradis	Car Painting	CCNB Bathurst
René Richard	Refrigeration and Air Conditioning	NBCC Saint Andrews
Sally Rivers	IT-Software Solutions for Business	CCNB Péninsule Acadienne
Vanessa Savoie	Electrical Installation	Polyvalente W.A.Losier
Marc-André Somers-Levesque	Welding	Polyvalente Roland-Pépin
Françis Thériault	Aircraft Maintenance	CCNB Dieppe
Marco Thériault	Industrial Mechanic Millwright	CCNB Bathurst
René Thériault	Cooking	CCNB Péninsule Acadienne
Callie Tracy	TV & Video Production (Team of 2)	St-Malachy's Memorial High
Sheryl Tucker	Electrical Installation	NBCC Saint John

SOURCE: Irving Oil Operations Ltd.

For more information or interviews, contact:
Luc Morin, Skills Canada NB
T: [phone]
[email protected]

Carolyn Van der Veen, Irving Oil
T: [phone]
[email protected]