SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
With the pressure on and the clock counting down, four Fort Simpson students were able to put their skills to use when it mattered.

William Alger of Fort Simpson competes in graphic design at the 16th annual Territorial Skills Competition May 6 in Yellowknife. - Dave Brosha photo

Isaac Isaiah, Lia Fabre-Dimsdale, William Alger and Rebekah Isaiah competed in graphic design at the 16th annual Territorial Skills Competition May 6 in Yellowknife. Isaac and Fabre-Dimsdale, both Grade 8 students, won silver and bronze medals respectively.

"It was very good," Isaac said about the competition organized by Skills Canada NWT.

Competitors in graphic design were tasked with retouching a photo and creating a full page magazine advertisement that would attract young graduates to work in the NWT. Originally they were also supposed to create a web page, but technical difficulties led to the cancellation of that part of the challenge, plus a two-hour delay.

The students were left with three-and-a-half hours to complete their work. Creating the ad was Issac's favourite part of the challenge.

"It was so interesting and very complex," he said.

Isaac, who plans to pursue a career in graphic design, is already making plans to compete at both the regional and territorial levels next year and hopes to win gold at both. He said the competitions are helping him prepare for future jobs.

It was the first time the four Thomas Simpson School students had competed at the territorial level. Isaac, Fabre-Dimsdale and Alger went to the NWT south regional competition for the first time in February.

"It was a little more difficult," said Fabre-Dimsdale about the territorial competition.

Fabre-Dimsdale, 14, said she felt good about earning bronze, which was better than she expected to do. Practicing with the graphic design team at the school between the two competitions helped, she said.

The team, under the guidance of coach Nathalie Lavoie, met every lunch hour and also during some evenings and weekends to prepare. The students have to be familiar with three different computer programs for the competition.

"I was very happy with them participating and completing the challenge," said Lavoie.

The team was very young and the members have lots of time to build their skills.

Fabre-Dimsdale and Isaac are in Grade 8, which makes them the youngest competitors the school has sent for graphic design.

Lavoie plans to continue the graphic design club throughout the rest of the school year and start again in September, so interested students can keep their skills fresh and be constantly exposed to the terminology they need to know.

The competition was not as challenging as Rebekah, 15, thought it would be. Knowing she only had to do two tasks made the situation less intimidating, she said.

"I think it was really cool to see other people with different types of skills," said Rebekah.

Both Rebekah and Fabre-Dimsdale want to return to the competition, but potentially in different areas. Rebekah is looking at baking or cooking while Fabre-Dimsdale is considering hairstyling.

The opportunity to try different trades and skilled jobs is part of what the Territorial Skills Competition is about, said Jan Fullerton, Skills Canada NWT's executive director.

"It gives them a chance first of all to build their confidence … and get a little more exposure to things. But also even it if turns out being something they don't do then they've had a chance to try it on and kind of identify that even though it's something they may be capable of doing it's not something they want to be doing," she said.

It's hard to make career decisions as a young person if you don't know what you like or dislike or where your aptitudes are, said Fullerton. Approximately 70 students from 11 communities participated at the territorial competition. Fullerton is hoping to see that number grow to 75 or 80 students next year.

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