IQALUIT - The heat and pressure were on as Grade 12 student Patricia Qiyuaqjuk raced around the kitchen trying to put the finishing touches on her dish.

Grade 12 student Patricia Qiyuaqjuk from Attagoyuk School in Pangnirtung carries out the meal she made to the judges for the taste test at the fifth annual Territorial Skills Competition hosted by Skills Canada at Inuksuk High School on April 20. - Emily Ridlington/NNSL photo

The chicken breast with pan gravy, maple-glazed carrots and broccoli almandine were ready to go. The eclairs for dessert had just been filled. She carried the plates out just in time and presented them to the judges for the official taste test in the cooking event.

Qiyuaqjuk from Attagoyuk School in Pangnirtung was one of 70 competitors participating in a variety of different skilled trade and technology contests at the fifth annual Territorial Skills Competition hosted by Skills Canada Nunavut at Inuksuk High School on April 20.

"It was good but I was kind of nervous because I had not made those recipes before," she said.

As a first-time participant in the skills competition, Qiyuaqjuk said the competition is important for her and other students to learn about the different opportunities that exist after high school.

While Qiyuaqjuk was working away in the kitchen, Shelly Nichol and Laura Oingonn, both Grade 9 students from Maani Ulujuk Ilinniarvik in Rankin Inlet, were participating in the workplace safety competition. Wearing hard hats, safety vests and with clipboards in hand, the girls completed a test and had to do a presentation based on the "three R's" - the right to refuse, the right to know and the right to participate.

Oingonn said she learned about injuries that could happen to workers on the job.

"The injuries are needless and you don't need to get hurt while on the job," she said.

Oingonn, Nichol and the other students who competed in their event also had to do a hazard assessment of a scene that could be found at a workplace. In a kitchen, Oingonn said examples of hazards could be a broken chair or food left out for too long. That would classify as a biological hazard.

Filming all of the action going on in various parts of the school and at the various competitions was Grade 12 student Trevor Tungilik from Qiqirtaq High School in Gjoa Haven. With a camera in hand, he and his teammate Ralph Porter captured the other students hard at work.

"We got some instruction and training and then we were let go to get the shots," said Tungilik. Tasked with making a two-to-four-minute movie before the deadline, Tungilik said he was not stressed during the competition. He participated in last year's contest and said he enjoys it because the activity is very hands-on and he gets to meet new people.

Other skilled trade and technology competitions taking place were in prepared speech, job skill demonstration, job interview, carpentry, baking, graphic design, photography, aesthetics and hair styling.

"All the students rose to the challenge," said Michelle Jacquard, executive director of Skills Canada Nunavut.

Skills Canada is a non-profit, nation-wide organization that promotes jobs, apprenticeships and opportunities in the skilled trades and technology sectors. The organization received a financial boost of $87,100 from the Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency (CanNor) to support curriculum development to be used by teachers in the territory to help prepare students for success.

Jacquard said while all students might have not taken medals home with them they all did an excellent job and "did their best, were safe and competed fairly" as she had advised them to do at the beginning of the day.

Gold medal winners in 10 skill areas qualified to compete for Team Nunavut at the upcoming Canadian Skills Competition from May 20-23 in Kitchener, Ont.

The chefs judging the cooking competition said all the food the students prepared was delicious. Qiyuaqjuk's hard work and perseverance paid off as she took home the silver medal. She will be graduating high school later this spring and plans on attending Algonquin College in Ottawa in the fall for culinary management. Qiyuaqjuk said she is looking forward to the opportunity to further her education, especially as she gets to do something she loves.

Medallists

Gold medallists in prepared speech, workplace safety, job interview, carpentry, cooking, baking, TV and video production secondary level, hairstyling post-secondary level and plumbing post-secondary level are eligible to compete at upcoming Canadian Skills Competition representing Team Nunavut in late May in Ontario.

• Prepared speech: Gold – Aloka WijesooriyaSilver – Isaiah PatterkBronze – Trina Qaqqaq
• Job skill demonstration: Gold – Joni OkatsiakSilver – Jamie Okatsiak
• Workplace safety: Gold – Shelly Nichol Silver – Jay Matthew Uqayuttuq Bronze – Laura Oingonn
• Carpentry secondary level: Gold – Gavin AyalikSilver – Kevin Ongahak Bronze – Eric Perkison
• Carpentry post-secondary level: Gold – Jonathon GoupilSilver – Jeremy RoseBronze – Willian Angotingoar
• Cooking: Gold – Kent dePeuterSilver – Patricia QiyuaqjukBronze – Mavis Ell and Taya Tootoo
• Baking: Gold – Jessica PenneySilver – Renee RudnakBronze – Surya Angatajuak
• Graphic design: Gold – Suzanne QavavauSilver – Bobby Tagoona
• TV and video production intermediate level: Gold – Misterlee Cloutier, Pamela Akpalialuk and Ashevak MontagueSilver – Taylor Isham and Kesha Allurut
• TV and video production secondary level: Gold – Katherine Lyall and Anna WolkiSilver – Robert Porter and Trevor TungilikBronze – Charlene Okalik and Kim Okalik
• Aesthetics: Gold – Chelsea KaludjakSilver – Vanessa Shamee
• Hairstyling secondary level: Gold – Jessica HunterSilver – Larissa FlahertyBronze – Sheema Boutilier
• Hairstyling post-secondary level: Gold – Special KusugakSilver – Nadia SammurtokBronze – Annie Karpik
• Plumbing post-secondary level: Gold – Coedy Sidoruk

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