Engaging Tomorrow’s Skilled Workforce: Skills/Compétences Canada Partners with Let’s Talk Science for the Let’s Talk Careers Competition, on the ChatterHigh Platform
Students across Canada will participate in round two of the Let’s Talk Careers Competition to learn about career possibilities in STEM and the skilled trades and technologies
OTTAWA, April 12, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Skills/Compétences Canada has partnered with Let’s Talk Science to offer an exciting opportunity to engage students in career discovery and exploration. Schools and students across Canada will have the chance to earn while they learn by participating in round two of the Let’s Talk Careers Competition, taking place from April 12 to May 21, 2021, on the ChatterHigh platform.Students across the country will have the opportunity to answer a 10 question quiz each day to earn points towards their personal leaderboards and for their school. These quizzes allow them to explore thousands of career options that they may not have been exposed to and also the opportunity to win prizes and bursaries.
The Let’s Talk Careers Competition engages students in career discovery by engaging them in exploring existing and emergent careers in skilled trades, technologies and STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics). While participating in this competition, students learn about career and post-secondary options available to them by matching their passions and interests to post-secondary programs or directing them to work options. It’s free and easy for all Canadian schools to get involved. Learn more about this competition and launch your students’ career exploration journey.
“Having the students perform at this level tells us that they like it, they enjoy it... they’re the ones that are expressing interest and the [good] performance is because they are taking ownership in their own learning,” Michael Pearson, district principal from a participating school in the first round.
The first round of the Let’s Talk Careers Competition was held from October 26 to December 4, 2020 with nearly 6,000 participants from 200 schools across Canada who explored over 444,916 career and post-secondary pathways, and earned over $25,000 in cash prizes. See the results of round one including video testimonials and interviews with previous participants.
“The demand for skilled tradespeople is expected to remain strong across Canada, and skilled trades and technologies provide excellent career pathways for youth. The Let’s Talk Careers Competition is a great way to engage and inform our future skilled workforce on the incredible career opportunities that are available to them,” said Shaun Thorson, CEO of Skills/Compétences Canada.
“Evidence from past competitions is clear; it effectively raises student awareness and interest in diverse STEM careers, many of which students had never heard of before. Programs like this are critical for inspiring youth to think about their futures. It helps prepare them for their futures by showing them what’s possible,” says Dr. Bonnie Schmidt, President and Founder of Let’s Talk Science.
*About Skills/Compétences Canada*
Skills Canada was founded in 1989 as a national, not-for-profit organization with partner Skills Canada organizations in each of the provinces/territories that work with employers, educators, labour groups and governments to promote skilled trade and technology careers among Canadian youth. Its unique position among private and public sector partners enables it to work toward securing Canada’s future skilled labour needs while helping young people discover rewarding careers. Skills Canada offers experiential learning opportunities including skilled trade and technology competitions for hundreds of thousands of young Canadians through regional, provincial/territorial, national and international events, as well as skilled trade awareness programs. Headquartered in Ottawa, Ontario, Skills/Compétences Canada is the Canadian Member Organization of WorldSkills.
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*About Let’s Talk Science*
Let’s Talk Science is a national charitable organization committed to inspiring and empowering Canadian youth to develop the skills they need to participate and thrive in an ever-changing world. To accomplish this, Let’s Talk Science offers a comprehensive suite of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) based programs to support youth, educators and volunteers across Canada. Let’s Talk Science’s national office is located in London, Ontario with regional offices in St. John’s Newfoundland and Labrador and Calgary, Alberta. For more information about Let's Talk Science, visit www.letstalkscience.ca.
*Media Contact:*
Michèle Rogerson, micheler@skillscanada.com, T. 613-266-4771.