Daniel T'seleie
Northern News Services

Edmonton, Alta (June 20/05) - Two Iqaluit youths returned as champions from the Canadian Skills Competition in Alberta earlier this month.

"It was like the Olympics of skills," said Lauren Solski, gold medal winner in the prepared speech category.

The annual competition, organized by Skills Canada, tests a variety of vocational skills relating to trades and technology.

"Most people associate skilled trades with low pay," Solski said. Most workers in skilled trades make six figure incomes, Solski said. She had to prepare a speech outlining reasons people should pursue careers in skilled trades for her competition.

Solski hosts a radio show on Raven Rock, but said speaking over the radio does not give "the same adrenaline rush" as speaking before a live audience.

Some have offered the opinion public speaking is not a valuable skill, but it is "actually one of the most feared things in the world," Solski said.

Every category at the Canadian Skills Competition is judged by a panel of experts in the area.

"It's very formal. It's crazy strict," said Ashley Tufts, who won a silver medal in restaurant service.

Judges at the competition were surprised at Tufts' level of skill, having come from Nunavut where service is normally informal.

"I've never actually worked in a restaurant before," said Tufts, who has learned most of her skills in the catering industry.

Restaurant service consisted of 18 smaller competitions - in areas like floral arrangements, napkin folding, and bar and lounge service - over two days.

"Most of that was on your feet," Tufts said.

Solski and Tufts attended the competition as part of a combined NWT/Nunavut team after winning medals in a bi-territorial competition. They were the only team members from Nunavut to win medals at a national level.