ARVIAT/IQALUIT - Arviat students from John Arnalukjuak High School brought home six medals from the sixth annual Skills Canada Nunavut competition in Iqaluit earlier this month.

Arviat's Sherilyn Sewoee, left, works on a volunteer student from Inukshuk High School on her way to a gold medal in the aesthetics category of the Skills Canada Nunavut competition in Iqaluit in April of 2011. - photo courtesy of Gord Billard

The school sent a delegation of seven students and four teachers to the event.

Sherilyn Sewoee took gold in the Aesthetics division, while Vayda Kaviok cooked up gold in the baking class.

Kaviok has been selected to compete in the Skills Canada national competition in Quebec City this coming month.

Silver medals were won by Keith Alikut and Patrick Sulurayok in TV/video production and Seepa Aulatjut in Aesthetics, while bronze medals went to Delen Alareak in carpentry and Joni Okatsiak in baking.

All the Arviat medals were won in the secondary school category.

Teacher Gord Billard said he was impressed by his first Skills Canada Nunavut competition in Iqaluit.

He said the event was an excellent experience for the students.

"It's a useful program that really focuses on the options available within the skills, trades and technology areas," said Billard.

"Kids often don't know what's out there, and Skills Canada gives them a really good outline as to what's possible for them to do.

"Participating in this event can get students to start looking at skill areas they didn't even know they had.

"They're doing things at home like baking and carpentry, and may not even realize they're marketable skills they could very well use to get a job in the future."

Billard said the Arviat students were quite focused on their preparations leading up to the competition.

He said Skills Canada Nunavut requires the names of participating students almost two months before the competition, as well as their practice schedule and the resource people being used in preparing them for the event.

"The Skills Canada people keep in close touch with you during the training period.

"They want to ensure you're going to bring a team that's ready to compete.

"My TV/video kids put in twice the amount of recommended hours while preparing."

Billard said the Arviat students found the competition to be a totally positive experience.

He said many of them talked all the way home about what a great weekend it was, how much they learned and the new friends they made.

"For some of them it was the first time they flew on a jet and got to visit Iqaluit, so it was all very exciting outside the actual skills competition.

"They were really excited to be there and, during the closing ceremony when they received their medals, it really hit home how important it was to participate.

"I could see what a great boost of confidence they got to their self-esteem from doing so well.

"Some students, who don't say too much during the year, talked my ear off on the plane coming home to Arviat."

Billard said he would have liked to have seen more teams compete in Iqaluit.

He said he was surprised by how many communities weren't represented.

"We had four teams in four different categories, but many communities didn't have a soul there.

"The more competitive the event becomes, the more competitive the kids will become too.

"Winning a medal means more when you know others in your category didn't, and every competition should have winners and losers."

Skills Canada Nunavut executive director Amanda Kilabuk said participation at the event has gone in cycles since it began.

She said the number of participants had been growing in previous years, but dropped a bit this year.

"I'll be starting our preparations for the next competition earlier this time around and, I think, the seventh annual event will be pretty big," said Kilabuk.

"I'm going to concentrate a lot on the skill clubs, and getting the word out to the communities that aren't usually involved.

"I want to target them and try to get more to participate next year."

Kilabuk said the competition exposes many students to different skill sets they may not receive in smaller communities.

She said many kids who come out of the skills program can provide an elevated force for mining, exploration and construction companies at entry-level positions.

"They have a solid background in baking and cooking, which are essential skills in mining and exploration camps, as well as carpentry and plumbing skills.

"Nunavut has medalled in numerous categories, in different years, at the national competition.

"To medal at the national event is a huge accomplishment for us because Team Nunavut is always the smallest team."

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