Calendar
Skills Ontario Competition
Skills Ontario is planning to hold the 2023 provincial Skills Ontario Competition in-person at the Toronto Congress Centre. The Competition will take place on May 1st and 2nd, followed by the Closing Ceremony on the morning of the 3rd.
Prior to the provincial-level competition, we host Skills Ontario Qualifying Competitions for four select contests that students must participate in first to determine who will continue to the provincial level. The Qualifying Competitions will take place on Saturday, April 1st, 2023 at various locations across the province for Culinary, Carpentry Individual, TV Video (team of two), and Welding. For more information on the Qualifying Competitions, click here.
If you have any questions, please email competitions@skillsontario.com. For latest developments, follow us on Twitter at @skillsontario.
Overview
The Skills Ontario Competition offers a unique opportunity for top students to demonstrate that they are the best of the best in their field. Over the two and a half days, they turn the heads of their educators, family, friends and prospective employers. Winners are awarded with Gold, Silver or Bronze medals - and some with monetary awards, too - and the opportunity to compete at the Skills Canada National Competition. From there, competitors could be headed to a WorldSkills Competition.
In addition to contests, the Skills Ontario Competition has a number of components, including: the Career Exploration Showcase, the Young Women's Conference, the First Nations, Métis and Inuit (FNMI) Conference, and the Closing Ceremonies.
How it Works
Students who are interested in competing at the Skills Ontario Competition must follow certain steps to be able to participate:
1. Let your instructor know you're interested. They'll be able to pass along your request to your school board/college/training delivery agent/private institution's designated contact person who will then let you know the process specific to your institution.
Note: You can not register directly for the Skills Ontario Competition, it must be done through your institution's contact person. See the "Registration" section of this website for more information.
2. Regional/Institutional Competition. Some insitutions host their own internal competition to determine who will be selected to represent them, while some will allow competitors to move directly to the Qualifying or Provincial competition. Your instructor will let you know if there is a regional competition for your institution.
3. Register by entering your information and submitting your signed informed consent form. Students that have been selected to represent their institution, either through a regional competition or by direct entry, must register and submit their informed consent form to Skills Ontario. Your instructor or your institution's contact person will explain the steps to register yourself.
4. Qualifying Competition. Four secondary level contests (Carpentry, Culinary Arts, TV & Video Production, Welding) require students to participate in qualifying competitions that are held at 7 colleges across Ontario. Students will compete against the best students in their region to determine who will advance to the Provincial competition.
5. Provincial Competition. Students from across the province attend the Skills Ontario Competition at the Toronto Congress Centre.
6. National Competition. For certain contest (see the table in the "Contest List" section), the gold medal winners from the Provincial Competition will be invited to represent Ontario at the National level.
7. World Competition. Skills Canada leads a selection process to determine who will represent the country at the international level.'
Changes for 2023
Below is a summary of the important changes for the 2023 edition of the Skills Ontario Competition. For more details on each of these points, please see their respective sections.
- The Skills Ontario Competition returns as an in-person event after 3 years of being held virtually.
- Registration will once again be held using a lottery system, as was first done for the 2022 competition.
- School boards/private institutions will be permitted to request 2 spaces per elementary and secondary contest. Post-secondary limits will also be raised to 3 spaces per institution.
- Skills Ontario will not be requiring an affiliation fee for 2023.
Benefits to Competing
- Chance to win a MEDAL! You could also be awarded with scholarships, bursaries, job offers and prizes!
- Compete against some of the best students from across the province
- Time spent practicing provides a higher level of competency, confidence, and leadership
- Add participation/accomplishment to your resume and LinkedIn
- Learn about time and resource management and dealing with pressure and obstacles
- Develop your skills in communication, problem-solving, team-building, creativity & innovation, collaboration, adaptability, digital competency, reading, numeracy and writing
- Complete hands-on experiential projects aligned with curriculum and industry standards
- Network with other competitors, educators, professionals and potential employers
- Connection for media opportunities such as tv, articles, videos, podcasts, radio and more
- Potentially represent Team Ontario at the National Competition and Canada at WorldSkills
- Represent your institution proudly! Possibly be recognized by a banner in your school
- Teachers/advisors are recognized along with medal winners with a commemorative pin
Hear What Teachers/Advisors Say About the Benefits of Competing
“Skills gives exposure to the possibilities of different career paths that are available that speak to the individual that they might not have been aware of. It also allows for them to take pride in skill sets that they have, just like they take pride in the ability to participate in a sport or a given art.”
“Participating against your peers can show where your skill set is in relation to others. The value this brings to the skilled trades is immense. Getting more eyes and ears on the trades is the best way to promote them, through the future workforce in our students.”
“Students get to test their skills acquired through the curriculum on industrial level assignments in industry environment using industry grade equipment and softwares. In addition, students practice many hours to prepare for Skills which enhances their hands-on skills. Lastly, students meet potential employers at the Skills events.”
If you would like a printable brochure for your school, please click here.
Registration
- Each school board, college, training delivery agent or private institution has one contact person ("registration contact") who requests spaces for their institution and manages student registrations. Parents, guardians, teachers, or students who are interested in participating must express their interest to this contact person - they can not register themselves for the competition. If you do not know this person, please contact competitions@skillsontario.com.
- Registration contacts can create accounts ont he Skills Ontario registration site. All accounts must be validated by the Registrar before a contact can log-in. A new account must be created each year.
- Registration contacts can request spaces for the competition in early December, with a limit of 2 elementary/secondary and 3 post-secondary spaces per contest for each institution. The spaces are either approved or waitlisted through a lottery in mid to late December, with priority being given to each institution's first space.
- Reserving a spot does not guarantee a space as once contest maximums are reached, reigstered space(s) are placed on a waitlist
- For approved spaces, students may begin submitting their information and informed consent forms in early February. Waitlisted spaces will be offered to registration contacts as they become available from cancellations.
- Spaces are free to cancel until the cancellation deadline, usually late-February/early-March. After this, the full fee must be paid as a space has tentatively been taken away from someone on the waitlist, as at that point, they may no longer be able to compete or have had enough notice to be able to practice. This is the same for if a space is registered and never cancelled, but the student does not show/participate in the actual event. The full registration fee will still be invoiced for that held space.
- After the competition, institutions are invoiced the fees for their participation.
Fees
The competition registration fee covers less than approximately 4.5% of the total cost per student to run each contest. Skills Ontario acknowledges the contributions of our sponsors and partners who help us provide these opportunities for our youth.
The institution who registered the spaces will be invoiced following the competition.
| Category |
Level |
Registration Fee | Payment Policy & Cancellation Fees |
| Qualifying | Secondary | $135 | |
Skills Ontario Competition |
Secondary / Post-Secondary ________________ Elementary |
$250
_____________________ $135 |
Spaces cancelled after the deadline will be charged the full registration fee as it potentially takes a space away that could be used by another student. Fees for cancelled spaces are not transferable to new spaces. |
| Affiliation |
Elementary / Secondary ________________ Post-Secondary |
N/A for 2023 _____________________ N/A for 2023 |
There will be no affiliation required. |
| Waitlisted Spaces | Elementary, Secondary, Post-Secondary | $0 | School boards/colleges/training delivery agents/private institutions will not be invoiced for waitlisted spaces. When a waitlisted space becomes accepted, the school board/college/training delivery agent/private institution will then be invoiced. |
Scopes
Contest scopes are provided to give teachers and competitors an outline of what each specific contest entails. All scopes for the current competition year should be posted before the end of January, but if the scope you are looking for is not posted yet, you may review past scopes as a starting point to give you an idea of what is involved.**
Scopes are the main resource required to prepare for your contest, so it is very important that you review your contest scope carefully in advance of the competition. The scope contains all of the information that a competitor needs to know to have a successful and safe competition.
Changes may occur in the scopes up until two (2) weeks prior to the competition. It is the responsibility of the competitor and advisor to ensure they have the most up to date version. The dates of postings will be reflected with the scopes on the website.
Note: Please review the date and time of your contest as listed in the scope. While the entire competition takes place over two days, some contests may occur on just one of the two days and have different start times. Scopes may change, so please check back to make sure you have the most recent version.
Elementary
* Please note that Elementary Career Awareness Workshops are distinct from Elementary contests, which also take place at the Skills Ontario Competition. Elementary contests are full-day events where teams of 2 to 4 students represent their school board in one of 9 different contests. If you are interested in Elementary contests, please click here to learn more or contact your school board representative.
No elementary contest advances past the provincial competition as Nationals/Worlds are secondary/post-secondary only.
| Contest Name | Document(s) | Last Updated | Past Scopes | Advances to Nationals / Worlds | Sponsor(s) |
| Character Animation (4-6 / 7-8) - Team of 4 | 2023-02-21 | - | - | ||
| Construction (7-8) - Team of 4 | 2023-01-19 | 2022 Virtual Scope | - | - | |
| Green Energy (7-8) - Team of 4 | 2023 Scope | 2023-03-14 | - | Ontario Power Generation | |
| LEGO Mechanical Engineering (4-6 / 7-8) - Team of 4 |
Need a LEGO set? Click here for the Skills Ontario LEGO Lending Library. |
2023-02-23 | - | - | |
| LEGO Robotics (4-6 / 7-8) - Team of 4 |
2023 Scope (4-6)
Need a LEGO set? Click here for the Skills Ontario LEGO Lending Library. |
2023-02-28 | - | - | |
| Technology (4-6 / 7-8) - Team of 4 | 2023-03-14 | - | - | ||
| TV & Video Production (7-8) - Team of 2 | 2023-02-21 | - | - | ||
| VEX Robotics (4-6 / 7-8) - Team of 4 | 2023-03-07 | - | - | ||
| Workplace Safety (7-8) - Team of 2 | 2023 Scope | 2023-01-31 | - | - |
Secondary/Post-Secondary
Contests with an asterisk (*) beside the name require students to first participate in a Qualifying Competition. The qualifying level of these competitions has a different scope that you will need to review.
Note: Contest scopes can not be posted until the National-level scope is posted by Skills Canada. If your contest scope has not been posted by the end of January, it is likely that the National-level scope has not yet been made public.
|
Contest |
Document(s) | Last Updated | Past Scopes | Advances to Nationals / Worlds | Sponsor(s) |
| 2D Character Animation (S) - Team of 2 | 2023-03-12 |
Nationals (S) |
|
||
| 3D Character Animation (S)- Team of 2 | 2023-03-12 |
Nationals (S) |
|||
| 3D Digital Game Art (PS) | 2023 Scope |
Nationals (PS) Worlds (PS) |
|||
| Additive Manufacturing (PS) - Introductory Demonstration Contest | |||||
| Aesthetics (S/PS) |
Skin Care Consultation Chart (PS) Manicure Consultation Form (PS) Dermalogica Face Mapping Chart (PS) Nail art (PS) has been posted directly in the contest scope. |
2023-03-06 |
--- |
Nationals (PS) Worlds (PS) |
|
| Aircraft Maintenance (PS) | 2023-01-31 |
Nationals (PS) Worlds (PS) |
Canadore College Confederation College Snap-on Tools |
||
| Architectural Technology and Design (S/PS) |
2023 Scope (S/PS) |
2023-01-16 |
--- |
Nationals (S/PS) | |
| Auto Collision Repair (S/PS) | 2023-01-12 |
Nationals (S/PS) Worlds (PS) |
3M Canada Toyota Motor Manufacturing Canada Inc. Mohawk College Skills Compétences Canada Auto Collision Program |
||
| Auto Painting (S/PS) |
Technical Sheets will be posted shortly. |
--- |
Nationals (S/PS) Worlds (PS) |
Fix Auto Skills Compétences Canada Auto Collision Program |
|
| Auto Service Technology (S/PS) | 2023-01-12 |
--- |
Nationals (S/PS) Worlds (PS) |
Snap-on Tools Mohawk College Centennial College Collège Boréal Algonquin College Fix Network Collège La Cité |
|
| Automation and Control (PS) | 2023-01-19 |
Nationals (PS) Worlds (PS) |
Rockwell Automation Magna International OACETT |
||
| Baking (S/PS) | 2023-02-09 |
--- |
Nationals (S/PS) Worlds (PS) |
Confederation College Georgian College Niagara College |
|
| Brick Masonry (S/PS) | 2023-01-12 |
--- |
Nationals (PS) Worlds (PS) |
Conestoga College Ontario Masonry Training Centre |
|
| Cabinetmaking (S/PS) | 2023-01-12 |
Nationals (S/PS) Worlds (PS) |
Wood Manufacturing Council | ||
| Carpentry - Individual* (S/PS) |
2023 Provincial Scope (S)* - Note: To view the Qualifying scope, click here. |
2023-01-16 |
--- |
Nationals (S/PS) |
Canadore College OCAS Milwaukee Tool CLAC Fanshawe College Carpenters and Allied Workers Local 27 Maple Reinders |
| Carpentry - Team (S) - Team of 2 | - | Fleming College | |||
| Cloud Computing (PS) | 2023-01-18 |
Nationals (PS) Worlds (PS) |
|||
| CNC Machining (PS) | 2023-01-12 |
Nationals (PS) Worlds (PS - Divided into Lathe and Mill contests) |
Conestoga College Humber College Centennial College HAAS Factory Outlet - A Division of Sirco Machinery Co. Ltd. |
||
| CNC Woodworking (S) | 2023 Scope |
2022-09-13 | - | ||
| Coding (S/PS) | 2023-02-21 | - | |||
| Computer Aided Manufacturing (S/PS) | 2023-02-09 | - |
OACETT Toyota Motor Manufacturing Canada Inc |
||
| Concrete Finishing (PS) | - | - | |||
| Culinary Arts* (S/PS) |
2023 Provincial Scope (S/PS) - Note: To view the Qualifying scope, click here. Menu Template Requirements (S/PS) Menu Template (Module 1) (S/PS) Menu Template (Module 2) (S/PS) Guidelines for Restaurant Sous Vide Cooking Safety in British Columbia (PS) Sous Vide Application Plan - CCP Log (PS)
|
2023-02-09 |
--- |
Nationals (S/PS) Worlds (PS) |
OCAS Fanshawe College |
| Electrical Installations (S/PS) | 2023-02-13 |
--- |
Nationals (S/PS) Worlds (PS) |
IBEW Local 353
Collège La Cité |
|
| Electronics (S/PS) | 2022-12-16 |
Nationals (S/PS) |
Seneca College | ||
|
Fashion Design (S/PS*) *PS is considered an Introductory Demonstration Contest. |
*Note: Competitors and their mentors must organize pages according to the Layout and then tape/glue pages. There should not be any space in between continuous lines. |
2023-02-27 |
Nationals (S) Worlds (S) |
St. Clair College | |
| Floristry (S) | 2023-01-10 | - | |||
| Geographic Information Systems (S) - Team of 2 | 2023-03-12 | - | |||
| Graphic Design - Presentation (S) | 2023-02-02 | - |
|
||
| Graphic Design - Studio Production (S/PS) | 2023-03-12 |
Nationals (S/PS) Worlds (PS) |
Centennial College | ||
| Hairstyling (S/PS) | 2023-01-24 |
Nationals (S/PS) Worlds (PS) |
|||
| Heating Systems Technician (S/PS) | 2023-01-18 | - |
Cambrian College Centennial College |
||
| Heavy Equipment Service (S/PS) | 2023 Scope | 2023-01-24 |
Nationals (PS) Worlds (PS) |
Vale
Centennial College |
|
| Home and Team Building (S) - Team of 4 | - | ||||
| Horticulture and Landscape (S/PS) - Team of 2 | 2023-01-12 |
--- |
Nationals (PS) Worlds (PS) |
||
| Industrial Mechanic Millwright (PS) | 2023-01-16 |
Nationals (PS) Worlds (PS) |
Linamar Corporation Vale Sheridan College Northern College |
||
| IT Network Systems Administration (S/PS) | 2023-01-18 |
--- 2022 Virtual Scope (S) |
Nationals (S/PS) |
Cambrian College
Durham College |
|
| IT Office Software Applications (S/PS) | 2023-01-18 | Nationals (S/PS) | |||
| Job Interview (S) | 2023-03-01 | Nationals (S) | |||
| Job Skill Demonstration (S) | 2022-03-20 | Nationals (S) | |||
| Landscape Design (S/PS) | - | ||||
| Mechanical CAD (S/PS) | 2023 Scope | 2023-01-18 |
Nationals (S/PS) Worlds (PS) |
Centennial College | |
| Mechatronics (PS) - Team of 2 | 2023-01-10 |
Nationals (PS) Worlds (PS) |
Magna International
Centennial College |
||
| Metal Fabricator - Fitter (PS) | 2023-01-12 | - | CISC
Miller |
||
| Network Cabling Specialist (PS) | 2023 Scope | 2023-01-19 | - | ||
|
Outdoor Powered Equipment (PS/S) |
2023-01-12 | Nationals (S/PS) | Centennial College | ||
| Pin & Medal Design (S/PS) | Click here to view the scope and learn more about this contest. | - |
- | ||
| Photography (S/PS) | Nationals (S/PS) | Durham College | |||
| Powerline Technician (PS) - Team of 2 | 2023 Scope | 2023-01-24 | - | ||
| Plumbing (S/PS) | 2023-01-24 |
Nationals (PS) Worlds (PS) |
UA Canada
Milwaukee Tool CLAC |
||
| Precision Machining (S/PS) | 2023 Scope | 2023-01-19 | Nationals (S/PS) | Seneca College
Linamar Corporation Sheridan College Georgian College Confederation College Haas Factory Outlet - A Division of Sirco Machinery Company Ltd. |
|
| Prepared Speech (S) | 2023-01-12 | Nationals (S) | |||
| Refrigeration (S/PS) | 2023-01-19 |
Nationals (PS) Worlds (PS) |
Naylor Building Partnerships Centennial College |
||
| Renewable Energies (PS) - Team of 2 | - | - | |||
| Restaurant Service (S/PS) |
--- 2022 Virtual Scope (S) |
- | |||
| Robotics (S) - Team of 4 | 2022-02-24 | Nationals (S Team of 2) | St. Clair College | ||
| Sheet Metal Work (PS) | 2023-01-16 | - | |||
| Sprinkler Fitter (PS) | 2023-01-24 | - | Nationals (PS) | UA Canada | |
| Steamfitting/Pipefitting (PS) | 2023-01-24 | Nationals (PS) |
UA Canada Ontario Power Generation |
||
| Truck and Coach (PS) | 2023 Scope | 2023-01-12 | - | ||
| TV and Video Production* (S) - Team of 2 |
2023 Scope* - Note: To view the Qualifying scope, click here. |
2023-02-21 | Nationals (S) | Soundevents | |
| Vex V5 Robotics (S) - Team of 4 | 2023-03-07 | - | |||
| Web Design and Development (S/PS) | 2023-02-14 |
Nationals (S) Worlds (S) |
|||
| Welding* (S/PS) |
--- |
Nationals (S/PS) Worlds (PS) |
Humber College Ontario Power Generation Northern College Niagara College Miller Astron Metals |
||
| Workplace Safety (S) | 2023-01-31 | Nationals (S) |
COCA 3M Canada |
Important Dates
- Thursday October 20 at 9am
- Registration Contacts can create accounts on the Skills Ontario registration site. All accounts must be validated by the Registrar before a contact can login
- A new account MUST be created each year - https://register.skillsontario.com
- Friday November 11 at 4pm
- Pin and Medal Contest Deadline
- Monday December 5 at 9am to Friday December 9 at 4pm
- Contest space reservation for Elementary, Secondary and Post-Secondary Contests at the Skills Ontario Competition
- Reserving a spot does not guarantee a space as once contest maximums are reached, registered space(s) are placed on a waitlist.
- Monday December 12 to Friday December 16
- Contest spaces will be approved via a lottery system.
- Monday, February 13 at 9am
- Individual student registration begins and continues to March 24 for Qualifying, and to April 13 for Elementary, Secondary and Post-Secondary
- Friday February 24 at 4pm
- Elementary/Secondary/Post-Secondary: No-penalty cancellation deadline. Competition spaces that are cancelled after this date/time will be charged the entire registration fee.
- If spaces are cancelled, they will be offered to those on the waitlists.
- Friday March 24 at 4:00pm
- Qualifying only - Registration and informed consent form deadline
- All regional events must occur before this date to ensure students can be registered. This deadline is to ensure Skills Ontario has enough time to order supplies/catering and pack materials and judging sheets.
- If Qualifying competitors have not registered themselves/completed the online informed consent form by this deadline, they will NOT be competing.
- Saturday April 1
- Qualifying competitions take place at 7 colleges across Ontario. Click here to learn more about the Qualifying competitions.
- Qualifying competitions take place at 7 colleges across Ontario. Click here to learn more about the Qualifying competitions.
- Thursday April 20 at 4pm
- Secondary, Elementary and Post-Secondary - Registration and informed consent form deadline.
- If competitors have not registered themselves/completed the online informed consent form by this deadline, they will NOT be competing.
- Monday May 1 and Tuesday May 2
- The Skills Ontario Competition takes place. Please check the scopes for the individual contest dates/times.
- Wednesday May 3
- Closing Ceremony
Safety
Student safety is a top priority for Skills Ontario. The following policies will be in place to reduce potential risks:
- Competitors must be enrolled in, or have taken a similar course of that of the contest that they will be competing in, to ensure they have a base level of competence and safety understanding. Competitors are to come prepared and trained for the contest to compete. Contests that require equipment training (example Auto Painting for the paint booth), training is provide on site during the contest.
- Competitors must wear all required safety equipment as outlined in each contest scope. Students who fail to wear proper equipment will not be allowed to compete. All personal protective equipment must be CSA approved. For example, safety boots must have the green CSA triangle on them.
- All equipment and tools supplied by Skills Ontario are inspected by the activity leader(s) prior to student use.
- Signage will be posted at each contest requiring personal protective equipment or safety precautions.
- Judges and Skills Ontario staff will be monitoring each contest to ensure all safety practices are followed and that equipment is being used properly.
- Technical Chairs will complete a contest site safety checklist prior to any competitor's arrival.
- Competitor Safety Check List will be completed with competitors by the Technical Chairs during contest orientation
- Every contest will be equiped with a standard first aid kit and hand santizer. Contests with materials and consumables that require spill kits/eye wash bottles will be available at each of those contests.
- Hearing protection will be available to all spectators who wish to have a pair of ear plugs. For spectators, they will be available in Zones 3 and 4 at the Toronto Congress Center, as well as the Skills Ontario Information Booth.
- Both police and EMS are available on-site throughout the competition days and are labelled on the floor plan which is available on the Skills Ontario website on the visotr page and on-site during contest days
- Skills Ontario has a site specific event safety manual that has guidelines to manage a number of different scenarios.
- The Toronto Congress Centre has security on-site 24/7 to monitor the building.
- Skills Ontario Staff are on-site each day throughout the competition.
- Leaders running the Challenges, Contests and Workshops are all trained in the field of the activity.
- Every activity leader, staff and marshal will have received a copy of the Event Safety Manual.
- Fire Exits and First Aid Stations are marked on the floor plan. These are available on the Skills Ontario Visitor section of the website and available on-site during contest days.
Competitor Eligiblity
Elementary Level Eligibility
Elementary level competitors must meet the following criteria in the current school year:
- International students may now compete at all levels of the Skills Ontario Competition and Qualifying Competition, including Elementary, Secondary and Post-Secondary
- Be enrolled in the appropriate grade level corresponding with the contest (Grades 4-6 or Grades 7 & 8) within the current school year.
- Be registered as a competitor with Skills Ontario.
- Competitors may compete in only one (1) contest at the Skills Ontario Competition.
- Students registered in a team event must be enrolled in the same school.
Secondary Level Eligibility
Secondary level competitors must meet the following criteria in the current school year and may be asked to provide proof of any points listed below:
- International students may now compete at all levels of the Skills Ontario Competition and Qualifying Competition, including Elementary, Secondary and Post-Secondary
- International students will be eligible to compete at the national level (Skills Canada National Competition SCNC) and WorldSkills as part of Team Canada, provided they meet the regular and age-eligibility requirements.
- Be 21 years of age or younger as of December 31st in the competition year. Proof of age must be available upon request.
- A competitor may only participate on Team Canada at WorldSkills once. Following the completion of being a competitor at WorldSkills, a competitor is welcome to compete again at the Skills Ontario Competition and the Skills Canada National competition, if they meet all other eligibility requirements, but they will be unable to qualify again for Team Canada.
- Be enrolled in a subject related* to the area of the contest in which they will compete OR have completed a senior level course in that subject area and/or co-operative education placement related to their contest area. *EXCEPTION: Employability Skills Contests and Pin and Medal contest.
- Have been earning high school credits any time during the current school year.
- Competitors MUST be trained or knowledgeable in ALL components of their chosen contest in order to participate
- Proof of related subject/training must be available upon request.
- Be registered as a competitor with Skills Ontario.
- Competitors may compete in only one (1) contest at the Skills Ontario Competition (exception: the Pin and Medal contest). Students competing at a Qualifying Competition who do not advance in their designated contest area are not permitted to then register for a different contest at the Skills Ontario Competition.
- Students registered in a team event must be enrolled in the same school.
- Students enrolled in the Ontario Youth Apprenticeship Program (OYAP) will be considered secondary level students and will compete at the secondary level, as long as the age criteria in c) is met. Adult OYAP students (22 years of age or older), who are registered apprentices, may apply to compete at the Post-Secondary level (see Post-Secondary Level for eligibility).
Post-Secondary Level Eligibility
Post-Secondary competitors must meet the following criteria (see other additional options below with regards to WorldSkills contests) in the current school year and may be asked to provide proof of any points listed below:
- International students may now compete at all levels of the Skills Ontario Competition and Qualifying Competition, including Elementary, Secondary and Post-Secondary
- International students will be eligible to compete at the national level (Skills Canada National Competition SCNC) and WorldSkills as part of Team Canada, provided they meet the regular and age-eligibility requirements.
- Be enrolled in a community college or private or vocational school or training delivery agent (i.e. union skilled trades school) that is based in Ontario. This includes: skilled trades/technology course, skilled trades apprenticeship course, or pre-apprenticeship.
- Be enrolled in a post-secondary program of study directly related or similar* to the contest in which they will compete, within the current school year. * If the program is not directly related but similar, this must be disclosed to the Director of Competitions prior to student registration to determine similarity and fairness. Skills Compétences Canada will likely be reference for the final decision.
- Exception: Pin and Medal contest. Any student, regardless of their program, may submit a design.
- Be registered as a competitor with Skills Ontario.
- Competitors may compete in only one (1) contest at the Skills Ontario Competition (exception: the Pin and Medal contest).
- Students registered in a team event must be enrolled in the same school.
- The competitor cannot be a certified journeyperson in the trade in which they are competing in.
- If you are a certified journeyperson in a different trade from which you are competing, this must be disclosed with registration and reviewed by the Director of Competitions prior to the competition to reference similarities and fairness. Skills Compétences Canada will likely be referenced for the final decision.
- Competitors must be no older than 29 years of age in the year of the competition (2023). They cannot turn 30 in the year 2023. Proof of age must be available upon request. Birthdates will be entered during student registration. Any competitor found registered or competing not meeting this eligibility will be disqualified.
- In regard to the provincial age eligibility above, any competitor may continue to the Skills Canada National Competition, as part of Team Ontario. A competitor who competes at the Skills Canada National Competition who is not WorldSkills age eligible is still able to medal, but would not be eligible to qualify as part of Team Canada for the WorldSkills International Competition. If the contest continues to WorldSkills, then to be eligible as part of Team Canada, a competitor must meet the WorldSkills age eligibility:
- Competitors must be no older than 22 in the year of WorldSkills (2024). They cannot turn 23 in the year 2024.
- Exception to the above WorldSkills age eligibility: Competitors in Aerospace Technology, Mechatronics and Cloud Computing must be no older than 25 in the year of WorldSkills (2024). They cannot turn 26 in the year 2024.
- In regard to the provincial age eligibility above, any competitor may continue to the Skills Canada National Competition, as part of Team Ontario. A competitor who competes at the Skills Canada National Competition who is not WorldSkills age eligible is still able to medal, but would not be eligible to qualify as part of Team Canada for the WorldSkills International Competition. If the contest continues to WorldSkills, then to be eligible as part of Team Canada, a competitor must meet the WorldSkills age eligibility:
- A competitor may only participate on Team Canada at WorldSkills once. Following the completion of being a competitor at WorldSkills, a competitor is welcome to compete again at the Skills Ontario Competition and the Skills Canada National competition, if they meet all other eligibility requirements, but they will be unable to qualify again for Team Canada.
- All competitors must be able to show either current apprenticeship or Journeyperson candidate status and/or proof of age upon request of the Technical Chair and/ or Skills Ontario staff if requested.
Competitor Rules and Regulations
- A minimum score of 60% will be required to receive any ribbon or medal or to be eligible to advance to the Skills Canada National Competition.
- Translators or other accommodations, if required, must be requested during the online competitor registration process and reviewed prior to approval. Due to bilingual staffing capacity, French oral translation services will be made available wherever possible but are not guaranteed.
- Competitors must be on time for their contest. Late arrivals may or may not be allowed to compete, but no "make-up" time will be given. Disqualification or a penalty will be at the discretion of the Technical Chair and before disqualification is final will be reviewed with the Director of Competitions. Refer to contest scope for start times.
- Competitor orientation will be facilitated by the Technical Committee members and attendance is mandatory. If clarification is required during the contest, competitors should seek it from the Technical Committee members.
- Competitors must wear/bring appropriate dress/safety equipment/tools or equipment as specified in the contest scope or from the policy of the facility in which the competitor is competing from. Competitors will not be permitted to participate and will be disqualified if they do not come prepared with all safety dress/equipment specified in the scope.
- Competitors must ensure BYOD computers have up to date antivirus software. Failure to have up to date antivirus software could result in point deduction(s) or desqualification from the contest. Click HERE for the Toronto Congress Centre’s Antivirus Policy for BYOD.
- Competitors may not speak to spectators during their contest (this includes teachers, advisors, parents, guardians, media or employers). Competitors may be disqualified at the Judges’ and Technical Committee Chair’s discretion.
- Competitors may be excused for washroom breaks at the discretion of the Technical Committee members. Competitors will be escorted by a Technical Committee member to ensure there is no communication with teachers/advisors/etc to limit the opportunity for outside assistance.
- Books, notes, materials and assisting devices as well as smart devices are not permitted during the contest unless the items are identified in the contest scope prior to the competition or during orientation. If discovered, a warning, penalty or possible disqualification could occur at the discretion of the Technical Chair.
- Any person in a contest (competitor, technical committee member, judge, supervisor) who is found guilty of dishonest conduct should be aware that there is zero tolerance for cheating and plagiarism. Any Competitor or supervisor found guilty of dishonest or unsafe conduct will be immediately disqualified.
- Any contest/scope/equipment questions submitted from competitors or advisors to the competition department staff and/or Technical Committee after 5pm two (2) weeks prior to the competition, will likely not be answered. Read the scope and ask questions early.
- Closed toe shoes need to be worn on all contest sites. Long hair must be tied back and either no jewelry or no loose jewelry is permitted on most contest sites, see contest scopes for details.
Conflict Resolution Procedure
The Conflict Resolution Procedure is in place to ensure all competitors are treated equally and fairly during the Qualifying and Skills Ontario Competition. If a competitor feels they have been treated unfairly, they are asked to begin the process described below.
Rules & Regulations
- Protests can only be made by the competitor (not an advisor, teacher, guardian, etc)
- If a competitor finishes the competition early and leaves the contest site/video call, they is forfeiting their opportunity to submit a Conflict Resolution. The Conflict Resolution must be submitted before leaving the contest site, up to fifteen (15) minutes after the completion of the contest. Reference the contest Scope for the agenda of the contest times, or when the Technical Chair states the end of the contest (ie started late, therefore finishes later).
- Competitors cannot submit a Conflict Resolution (informal or formal) about the results/medal standings (after the fifteen (15) minutes of the completion of the contest). All protests must be made on the contest site/ video call/ email if submission only, to be able to discuss/ review with the Technical Chair(s) as they are the only ones who can identify a discrepancy in the scoring of the contest.
To learn more about formal/informal protests, click here.
Skills Canada National Competition and WorldSkills
Ontario will send medal representatives (Team Ontario) to those contests where a national competition is held in secondary and post-secondary contests to the Skills Canada National Competition. Please refer to the Contest List above for contests that are offered at this level. Please note this list is subject to change, as determined by the National Secretariat.
Ontario competitors will be notified of their qualification upon receipt of their medal at the Skills Ontario Competition Closing Ceremony. A mandatory Team Ontario meeting will then follow the Closing Ceremony. Once informed of their eligibility to compete at the Skills Canada National Competition, competitors must immediately provide Skills Ontario with their decision of whether or not to participate within two days of the ceremony. This is to be able to provide names to the airline, hotel and registration with a very tight turn around period to when the travel it to occur.
Results
Below you will find the results from previous competitions. Results for the current competition will be posted shortly after the Closing Ceremonies.
Changelog
All changes will be noted here with the exception of scopes and project documents, as they can be viewed in the Scopes table with their last updated date.
