Georgian is golden at Skills Canada Competition

Two Georgian College students topped the winner podium once again at the Skills Canada Competition held May 24 to 27 in Winnipeg. First-year Mechanical Technician – Precision Skills student Ethan McCallum won his second gold medal in the Computer Numerical Control (CNC) Machining category, while Xander Powell, a first-year Mechanical Techniques – Marine Engine Mechanic student took home another gold for Outdoor Power Equipment.

A person wearing a blue shirt and black pants with safety glasses uses a control panel on a machine. — Ethan McCallum works with a control panel at Skills Canada.

A person wearing a blue shirt with safety glasses working on a small engine. — Xander Powell works on a small engine at Skills Canada.

Georgian also congratulates Skills Ontario gold winner Allison Partello for a strong showing at the national competition in the Hairstyling category.

Brett Austin, an instructor at Georgian, says watching the students earn positions on Team Ontario and Team Canada has been a surreal experience.

He says, “For a student to go from secondary school shop class to being the best in the country at a young age shows both the level of training available at Georgian and the potential of a committed and supported student.

“The next level of competition will be challenging with a much more complex project scope. Both students are working hard to ensure they represent themselves and all of Georgian to the very best of their abilities by diligently training to improve their skills. I’m personally very proud of the success of Ethan, Xander and Allison!”

Ethan and Xander will be heading to the WorldSkills International Competition, taking place in Paris, France in 2024. Throughout the next year, they’ll continue training and have the opportunity to network with machine suppliers, educational institutions and former Canadian contestants and industry experts.