Calendar
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 Educators Conference (registration required)
• Provincial Entrepreneurship Showcase (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.
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Competition Floor Plan
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Competition Floor Plan
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
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 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 2pm)
- Bobs Burgers: Hot Dogs, Burgers, Veggie Burgers (burger is vegan, bun is veggie), French Fries (GF) , Poutine (GF, Veg, V), Bacon Poutine, Pulled Pork Sandwiches, Pulled Pork Poutine, Vegan Burger Poutine (GF, Veg, V)
- Poutine Shack: Hot Dogs, Burgers, Veggie Burgers (burger is vegan, bun is veggie), French Fries (GF, Veg, V), Poutine (GF, Veg, V), Bacon Poutine, Pulled Pork Sandwiches, Pulled Pork Poutine, Vegan Burger Poutine (GF, Veg, V)
- JB’s Chicken Sandwiches: Nashville Chicken Sandwiches, Original Chicken Sandwiches, Chicken Tenders, Fries (GF), Poutine (GF, Veg, V), Burgers and hot dogs.
- Bubbas: Fries (GF, Veg, V) and Poutine (beef gravy)
- Tiny Tom Donuts: Fresh hot mini donuts
- Fleets Coffee: Speciality Cold and Hot Drinks
- Matts 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.
- Swiss Chalet - 642 Dixon Rd
- Subway - 642 Dixon Rd
- Tim Hortons - 638 Dixon Rd
- Milestones - 646 Dixon Rd
- Harvey’s - 648 Dixon Rd
- Quesada Burritos & Tacos - 648 Dixon Rd
- Makimono Sushi Bar - 636 Dixon Rd
- Burger King - 636 Dixon Rd
Hotels
Please note that all Skills Ontario Courtesy blocks are no longer available at the special 2024 discounted rates and offers. All courtesy block reservations must be made within one month of the event each year. Some of the listed hotels may have limited rooms available outside of the blocks arranged by Skills Ontario. Any group looking to make a reservation may reach out independently of Skills Ontario to make their own arrangements. The 2025 Skills Ontario Competition Blocks will be posted to the Skills Ontario website in the fall of 2024. The prearranged Skills Ontario courtesy blocks fill up early and quickly. To ensure your group has an opportunity to reserve under these rooms please check the website for the upcoming 2025 availability date this September. An email will also be sent by Skills Ontario to all Skills Ontario registration contacts prior the list be posted to our website to help ensure equal opportunity.
Thank you to all of those who booked under the Skills Ontario courtesy blocks this year. Skills Ontario recognizes the large number of visitors and groups who require hotel accommodations each year and prearranges a large number of rooms to help make arrangements easier for our competitors and guests.
We look forward to seeing you soon.
School Trip Tips
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 at the Main D Entrance on the west side of the building at the YES Desk. 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!
Field Trip Information Sheet
This sheet has been created to pull various pieces of pertinent information from different parts of the website to help in planning a trip to the Skills Ontario Competition. It includes information such as the location and addresses of the event, parking, bus drop-off and pick-up, code of conduct and harassment, food and seating, safety, school trip tips (above), floor plan, bathrooms and social media.
Career Exploration Showcase Booths
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 Julia Curran at jcurran@skillsontario.com for details.
Bus Pick-up/Drop-off and Parking
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.
It is strongly recommended to arrive early to allow ample time for various factors, including the expansive size of the event venue (500,000 sq.ft utilized, equivalent to almost 9 football fields), parking locations, and navigating to the building. The main entrance at 650 Dixon Road experiences high traffic, particularly for those traveling eastbound on Dixon and needing to make a left turn, with reported wait times of up to 30 minutes or more during peek periods. An alternative is the rear entrance at 1020 Martin Grove Road, accessible by continuing eastbound on Dixon and making a left onto Martin Grove. This entrance typically has lower traffic. Please follow posted signs for parking directions and review the parking map before your arrival.
Vehicle Parking and Bus Drop-Off & Pick-Up
Skills Ontario Competition Passport
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!
