RANKIN INLET - Hundreds of people came out for the Skills Nunavut Cardboard Qamutiik Race in Rankin Inlet this past week.

Teams from Maani Ulujuk Ilinniarvik (MUI), Nunavut Arctic College and Rankin's corporate community took part in the event.

Participants had one hour to build a qamutiik out of cardboard, string, rope, duct tape and a paper clip, before heading to Williamson Lake to race around a designed course.

While the competitive spirit was clearly evident during the event, the idea of the project was to have fun, encourage participation and highlight the basics of trade skills.

The top school team in the event was Quick Silver, while the Kivalliq Inuit Association took the corporate title and Aiviq's Speedsters won the Nunavut Arctic College division.

MUI work experience coordinator Kevin Bussey said the race is a Skills Canada event held in every Canadian province and territory.

He said most provinces, with big enough swimming pools, hold boat races, but Skills Nunavut came up with the qamutiik idea as a way of involving more communities in the event.

"Skills Nunavut has been sponsoring this event in the territory for the past three or four years and this was the first time it was held in Rankin Inlet," said Bussey.

"I had a lot of people tell me they really enjoyed themselves after the event and that's exactly the type of comment we were hoping for.

"Having different divisions works well to keep everyone on a level playing field so you don't, for example, have kids in Grade 9 up against trade instructors."

Bussey said not only is the event a lot of fun, but it also has a number of skills built right into its design.

The participants have to work as a team, design plans and construct their sleds, and work together to produce good results on the race track with their creations.

He said there's plenty of math and technology skills involved with the planning and actual construction of the cardboard qamutiik.

"The school sees the event as a good curriculum support project.

"We'd love to see more events like this in Rankin because skilled trades is where it's at these days, in terms of landing a good paying job.

"We're still desperately short of skilled tradespeople in Nunavut, with 80 to 90 per cent of the territory's skilled tradespeople being imported from the south.

"The mandate of Skills Nunavut is to promote a career in the skilled trades, and we have to have events like this if we're going to get the kids interested and help them realize there's solid career potential with these trades."