Skills Ontario Competition - Visitors

2024 Skills Ontario Competition: May 6th and 7th at the Toronto Congress Centre

Closing Ceremony: May 8th

Day 1: Monday
(Open to the Public 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.)
•    Some contests for secondary and/or post-secondary school students occurring prior to Tuesday (registration required for participants / open to the public for viewing)
•    Elementary Contest for students in grades 4 – 6 and 7 – 8 (registration required)
•    Elementary Workshops for students in grades 7 and 8 (registration required)
•    Hands-on exhibits in the Skills Ontario Career Exploration Showcase with Passport (open to the public)
•    Young Women’s Conference for young women in grades 7 and 8 registration required)

Day 2: Tuesday
(Open to the Public 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.)
•    Contests for secondary and post-secondary students (registration required for participants / open to the public for viewing)
•    Hands-on exhibits in the Skills Ontario Career Exploration Showcase with passport (open to the public)
•    Young Women’s Conference for young ladies in grades 9 to 12 (registration required)
•    Young Women’s Francophone Conference for young ladies in grades 9-12 (registration required)
•    First Nations, Métis & Inuit Student Conference  (registration required)
•    TV Video Contest – Video Premiers: Cohen Ballroom (4:15 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.) (open to public)
•    Guidance Councillor Conference (registration required)

Day 3: Wednesday
•    Closing Ceremony – awarding of medals, monetary awards and job offers, scholars, prizes and more (free to attend and first come first served for seating)
•    Team Ontario Meeting (Skills Ontario Competition Gold Medalists of contests that advance to the Skills Canada National Competition)

 

If you have any questions, please email info@skillsontario.com. For latest developments, follow us on Twitter at @skillsontario.


For resources and information regarding visiting the 2024 Skills Ontario Competiton, please stay tuned to this webpage.

Competition Floor Plan
Food Options & Information
Competition Guide
Hotel Information
School Trip Tip Sheet
Career Exploration Showcase
Exhibitors
Bus Pick-up/Drop-off and Parking
Competition Passport

 

                                                                       

Competition Floor Plan

Return to index

The Skills Ontario Competition can be visited on either Monday, Tuesday, or both days! Each day of the event is slightly different, and the floor plans change to reflect this!

There is a separate floor plan for Monday and Tuesday. It is colour-coded to outline the differences between the contests, workshops, and skilled trade and technology sectors. It also outlines all the Showcase Booth numbers that correspond with the Career Exploration Showcase Booth document (located on this page) that outlines which exhibitor occupies each booth. 

Other areas to note on the map are in purple for items such as:

  • Restrooms
  • Seating areas
  • Concessions
  • First Aid
  • Skills Ontario Info Booth
  • Skills Ontario Office
  • YES Desk at the Main D Entrance

 

Food Options & Information

Return to index

Food will be available for purchase from different sources during the Monday and Tuesday competition days, both onsite and offsite. Line-ups may be long, and is recommended that you bring a lunch, snacks and/or a drink with you, as other options and/or to avoid line-ups.

Onsite options include:

This will be an enclosed area located outside near the Main D Entrance which includes a lunch tent for seating. Onsite, there will be various seating options both inside and outside the venue, which will be located on the Competition Floor plan (found on this same Visitors page). Please note to students that they are not allowed to sit on the floor/carpeted areas in the venue.

  • Food Trucks (available 10am to 3pm)
    • Bob's Burgers: Hot Dogs, Sausages, Burgers, Veggie Burgers, French Fries 
    • Poutine Shack :  Classic Poutine, Bacon Poutine
    • Nashville: Hot Fried Chicken Sandwiches, Chicken Tenders, Gluten free and Vegan Hot Dogs and Hamburgers
    • Tiny Tom Donuts: fresh, hot mini donuts
    • Bubba's Fries
    • Fleets Coffee: Specialty Cold and Hot Drinks 
    • Matt's Dairy Ice Cream Truck
  • The Toronto Congress Centre Food Services

Offsite options include:

Listed restaurants are all on the same side of road as the Toronto Congress Centre and would not require crossing Dixon Road at the lights in between Highway 27 and the 401. Please note these options are on the opposite side of the Main D Entrance - plan walking time accordingly.

 

Hotels

Return to index

Visitors and competitors of the annual Skills Ontario Competition visit at the Toronto Congress Centre from all over the province, and even outside Ontario! Sometimes, this means accommodations are required for overnight travel. Skills Ontario works with hotels close to the vicinity of the venue to secure several different group options and rates for visitors to book. The hotels and group rates are generally posted to the Skills Ontario website near the start of the school year/fall. Visitors can follow the instructions listed with each hotel on how to book. There is a deadline allocated with each hotel for when the group rate is no longer available. At that time, the hotel will be removed from the Skills Ontario website, or removed if and when a block has been filled.

Information about courtesy hotel blocks for the 2024 Skills Ontario Competition will be posted here in October. Please check back then.

 

School Trip Tip Sheet

Return to index

Each year over 37,000 students, teachers, parents, industry and members of the general public over the course of two days come from across the province and beyond, to observe the Skills Ontario Competition, the largest competition of its kind in Canada. With large crowds, it is helpful to plan your trip with this in mind.

We hope the tips listed below assist in planning a fun and valuable class trip for your students!

  • Review all items and documents on the Competitions Visitors page.
  • View the Bus Drop-off/ Pick-up Map and Parking Map for directions and where to park for the driver.
  • There are many buses dropping off and picking up, and sometimes it can be very difficult to find which bus is yours at the end of the day. Make a brightly coloured sign that clearly identifies your group to put in your bus window. Show this to your group before they get off the bus when you arrive.
  • There is NO PA system in the venue that can be used to page students. Please create a communication plan so you can get a hold of your students or vice versa.
  • Arrange a meeting place and time with your students prior to arriving at the Toronto Congress Centre (such as in front of the Home and Team Building Contest). This can be determined by using the Competition Day Floor Plans, posted on the Competition Visitors page
  • The designated “lost and found” person’s area is the “Skills Ontario Office” in Zone 1 of the meeting rooms area at the front of the building. Our staff will direct any lost persons, or people looking for lost persons to this area.
  • Instruct your students to use the buddy-system. When exploring the event, no student should be left to tour alone. The competition space including the meeting room areas for contests is approximately 650,000 sq.ft. This is more than eleven football fields.
  • Review the Competition Day Floor Plans ahead of time with your students. They will benefit from being familiar with the layout of the venue. These will be available to print from a PDF from the website, view as electronic PDF from the website, and as hard copies available on site.
    • If you are printing copies of the floor plan before arriving, it is recommended to clearly mark it with your designated meeting place (and perhaps the supervision contact’s cell phone number).
    • First Aid Stations and EMS are marked on the floor plan - point this out to students, in case of an emergency. Students can also ask for help from any Marshal or Skills Ontario staff. There are three locations where a Skills Ontario staff will be stationed at all times: YES Desk at the Main D Entrance, the Skills Ontario Booth in the middle of the floor plan, and in the Skills Ontario Office at the front of the building.
    • Designate a location that you will stop at throughout the day where students can find you if they need to - make this location clear to your students.
  • Instruct students to dress for the weather. While the majority of contests and showcase booths are indoors, there will still be some outside. There will not be a space to leave coats or valuables. It is recommended that perhaps students wear a backpack or bring a bag if they need to carry a jacket, valuables, or items that they receive during the day from the Showcase Booths, or if are signed up for Elementary workshops
  • Plan an activity for your students to complete throughout the day. There is a Scavenger Hunt Activity called the “Skills Ontario Competition Passport” provided by Skills Ontario to learn more about Skilled Trades and from the Showcase Booths!

 

Career Exploration Showcase Booths

Return to index

The Career Exploration Showcase runs annually in conjunction with the Skills Ontario Competition and features 20,000+ square feet (the equivalent of nearly 170 cars!) of exhibitor booths, offering attendees the opportunity to:

  • Try a hands-on skilled trade or technology-based activity at every booth
  • Learn about skilled trade & technology careers and pathways
  • Speak to Ontario business, education, and government representatives about skilled trade & technology career opportunities

This event is an excellent way to see what’s out there and explore what’s possible, perfect for students, educators, parents/guardians, and career seekers!  

 

Are you a Skills Ontario partner/sponsor and would like information about being an exhibitor? If so, please contact Michelle Proctor at cvollum@skillsontario.com for details.

 

Bus Pick-up/Drop-off and Parking

Return to index

There are several entrances and different parking lots at the Toronto Congress Centre. A Bus Pick-up/Drop-off Map is provided, as well as a Parking Map for where buses can park after dropping off. These are provided each year to assist visitors in planning the best possible route and schedule for their visit when arriving and leaving the Skills Ontario Competition, if travelling via a bus.

Vehicle Parking and Bus Drop-Off & Pick-Up

 

Route to Bus Parking

Skills Ontario Competition Passport

Return to index

Enhance your experience at the Skills Ontario Competition by taking part in this fun engaging activity! The Skills Ontario Competition Passport encourages attendees to experience as much as the event has to offer. Activities in the Passport will have attendees participating in activities such as:

  • Speaking with exhibitors about skilled trades and technologies careers
  • Participating in hands-on activities at Showcase Booths
  • Learning more about what the Skills Ontario Competition has to off

Those who complete the Passport and submit to Skills Ontario have a chance to win a prize!