Education/training
Students celebrate National Skilled Trades Day with boat-building competitionWhatever floats your boatYou've been given two large sheets of cardboard, duct tape, contact cement, a bit of string and one paperclip. Together with three teammates, your task is to create a boat that not only floats, but will carry as many of you as possible in a race across a pool. |
|
 [ 2007-10-17 ] |
High school students have two hours to build a cardboard boat that floats.
That's the challenge hundreds of high school students across the province will tackle as a prelude to National Skilled Trades Day in Canada. "The goal of the cardboard boat races is to experience in a hands-on way what it is like to be a skilled tradesperson," says Emily Waldron, associate programs manager with Skills Canada-Ontario.
"Students are designing, solving problems and seeing the results of their work. They get to work in a team and they get to work in a fun environment, just like many skilled tradespeople do on a daily basis."
Participants have two hours to build their boats. The exercise is designed to test their problem-solving skills, as well as their knowledge of design research, aerodynamics, adhesives and bonding, teamwork, principles of structure, strength and rigidity, displacement, and leadership.
Teams are judged on design, quality of construction, teamwork and organization, safety and cleanliness, visual appeal, speed and weight capacity. Each race and weight challenge is timed and points are allocated on both individual and overall performance. Gold, silver and bronze medal-winning teams from each race location will compete in a provincial championship boat race.
PROMOTE SKILLED TRADES
The challenge is designed to help promote National Skilled Trades Day in Canada, which will be held Monday, Nov. 5. Educators are invited to showcase the skilled trades to intermediate students through any of a number of activities, such as building a tinfoil Titanic or a straw tower.
Activities are designed to teach students key skills associated with trades careers, such as building, designing, fixing and creating. "The first goal of National Skilled Trade Day is to encourage students to consider the skilled trades as a viable option," Waldron says. "The second goal is to celebrate the people already in the skilled trades."
There is growing concern about potential labour shortages in various skilled trades across Canada. Perspectives on the severity of the issue vary by trade, and by province and territory, but experts agree apprenticeship programs need special attention to ensure that there will be sufficient numbers of certified skilled workers to meet labour market needs in coming years, Statistics Canada reports.
Skilled Trades - Ontario is a not-for-profit organization whose mandate is to promote skilled trades and technologies careers as viable, first-choice career options to Ontario youth.
CARDBOARD BOAT RACES
In the days leading up to National Skilled Trades Day in Canada, high school students across the province are invited to test their math and technological skills in Cardboard Boat Races.
The races take place Monday, Oct. 29 and Tuesday, Oct. 30. A maximum of 36 teams can participate at each location. The registration deadline is Friday, Oct. 19.
To learn more, visit www.skillsontario.com
Would you ever work for a social or charitable enterprise in the third sector?