The Atlantic Canada Carpentry Skills Competition will be held in Prince Edward Island for the first time at the Provincial Home Show this weekend. The competition will feature top carpentry apprentices from across Atlantic Canada vying for the top spot and a chance to compete at the national competition.
"Changing technology demands well-trained apprentices and journey-people, and this competition will give fourth-year carpentry apprentices the opportunity to display their skills," said Minister of Education Chester Gillan.
The competition will begin on Saturday morning, with an eight-hour practical exercise where the contestants will actually build a project, thus testing their ability to work with the tools and materials of the trade. The apprentices will not be given the blueprints for the construction project until Friday evening. Some areas the competitors will be tested on include their ability and competency in reading blueprints and specifications; safe use of hand and power tools; quality, accuracy and thoroughness of workmanship; the ability to complete an assignment at a given time and their general work attitude.
Visitors to the Provincial Home Show and Carpentry Skills Competition will have an opportunity to compete for a prize and bid on the carpenter's finished products through a silent auction. Proceeds from the auction will be donated to various charities, including Toys for Tots.
The 1999 Atlantic Canada Carpentry Skills Competition is sponsored by the PEI Department of Education, Apprenticeship Division, Carpenter's Local 1338 and Holland College.