Trade school students going for gold in Calgary, 2009

Filed under Canada, Trade Organizations, Trades and Culture, Trades Related Events

Less than a year from now, “the Olympics of skilled trades” will be underway in Calgary, Alberta, Canada at WorldSkills 2009. Over a thousand trade school students and graduates along with 5000 delegates from over 50 countries will descend on the world class city in the foothills of the Rockies. Events will range from culinary arts to carpentry to computer-aided design and everything in between.

And the hosts are definitely looking forward to it. WorldSkills 2009 will be “a terrific opportunity for Calgarians to see supremely talented individuals from around the world showcasing their skills in a competitive arena,” says the chair of Chair of WorldSkills Calgary 2009, Guy Mallabone.

The skills competition will be using Calgary Stampede Park. Over 150,000 spectators are expected to watch various events. 30,000 motel rooms have been reserved in anticipation of the influx of people from around the world. WorldSkills is about two thirds the size of the Vancouver Olympics and will be bigger than the 1988 Calgary Winter Olympics.

While the scale is “Olympian,” the true value of competition ought to be seen as far more important. “Like the Olympics, we are playing host to the world – unlike the Olympics we are completely focused on skills that contribute to the economy and an individual’s employability in a global market,” says Richard Walker, President and CEO of WorldSkills Calgary 2009. He added that Calgary ought to be very proud to host this event, last held in Tokyo and next being held in London (2011). “This is the ‘big show’ when it comes to exhibiting global talent in technology and skilled trades.”

Want to know more?

-   The first competition was held in 1950 in Madrid, Spain. Canada last hosted the WorldSkills Competition in Montréal in 1999 at the Olympic Stadium.
-   Every two years, over 1,000 competitors from 50 member countries/regions gather to compete in over 48 skill categories ranging from welding, cooking, auto body repair and landscape gardening to beauty care and web design.
-   The competition attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors including public policy makers, government representatives, employers, teachers, trainers and experts from around the world.

To learn more go to http://www.worldskills2009.com