February 17, 2010
Skills Update
CCIF Skills Program and the 2010 Canadian Skills Competition
The CCIF Skills Program was established to ensure that Car Painting was represented at WorldSkills Calgary 2009 and to promote careers in Collision Repair to students, parents and educators by bringing Car Painting back to Skills Competitions on a national level. The program has accomplished these goals, and I am now looking forward to new and exciting goals for 2010, including representation at the upcoming 16th Annual Canadian Skills Competition (CSC2010).
The upcoming 16th Annual Canadian Skills Competition will take place in Waterloo, Ontario on May 20-23, 2010. The annual event was started in 1994, and remains the only event of its kind in Canada. It is the only national, Olympic-style, multi-trade and technology competition for young students and apprentices in the country. It brings together approximately 500 young competitors to compete in over 40 trade and technology areas.
CCIF Skills Program 2010 objectives
The CCIF Skills Program will continue to focus on providing the support required to ensure successful representation at Skills Competitions nationally and provincially. CSC2010 and the 2010 Ontario Provincial competition will be held at Koebel’s CARSTAR Collision, a modern, well equipped collision repair facility only 6 kilometres from the main competition venue. The resources for the event have been generously donated by industry. There has been a marked increase in the participants entering both of these competitions since the establishment of our program.
Virtual Painting Try-A-Skill returns
Our industry will be represented at CSC2010 on-site with the very popular Virtual Painting, being provided by the University of Northern Iowa Waste Reduction Centre. We will offer students the opportunity for a hands-on interactive experience where they can actually try painting on this high-tech computer simulator. This drew a large crowd at CSC2009 in PEI, and at WorldSkills Calgary 2009, where it made the morning news on Global TV. The booth will be staffed with industry professionals to hand out our CCIF Skills Program brochures and answer questions.
Long term solutions
Looking ahead, I see the challenge we face to continue holding Car Painting events at Canadian Skills Competitions, as the event moves to a new Province annually, and the equipment requirements are substantial. To ensure the long-term representation of our industry, we need to create permanent resources that will meet this need each year. The program is looking for sponsors to help fund the purchase a custom-designed paint booth that can be shipped to the competition site each year, ensuring the ability to host car painting. We are also seeking funding from outside of industry, to build an high-tech trailer that would hold this custom built paint booth, a virtual painting unit, and be completely transportable and self-contained, creating expanded opportunities to promote the Collision Repair Industry in communities across Canada.
Become a 2010 program sponsor
I urge collision repairers, insurers, associations and suppliers to the industry to join those who have already committed to be a 2010 sponsor. By spreading the financial responsibility across a large number of organizations, we can all be part of the solution to future labour shortages in our industry and invest in our own future. Visit www.ccifskillsprogram.com for a sponsorship form.
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Leanne Blackborow
