BY STEVE HENSCHEL
STAFF
NIAGARA THIS WEEK
There are some seriously skilled students walking the halls of Port Colborne High School. This year the school picked up a total of nine medals — four gold, two silver and three bronze — in District School Board of Niagara skills competitions. Of those nine, three will head to provincial level skills competitions next week. John VanGeemen, Zach Dolan and Eli Schonewille will all head to Waterloo to compete in their respective fields of automotive repair, precision machining and welding in the hopes of landing a spot at the national level. For Schonewille it is his second year at provincials, and the sixth consecutive year the school has had a welding student at the provincial level. All three students are part of Specialist High Skills Major (SHSM) programs at the school. “Our students are always competitive,” said SHSM manufacturing coordinator Vic Barker, who along with Mike Ferrelli has been coaching the students ahead of the competition. Barker explained the students, and others in the program, easily put in 200 hours a year into developing workplace skills like welding. “They are such excellent students,” said Barker, adding, “they are in after school, they are in at lunch.”For Schonewille this year’s competition will be another chance to medal at the provincial level as he goes head to head against 30 to 40 other competitors in demonstrating a variety of welds. Participation in the SHSM program has already landed him two tickets for horizontal and flat welding. He noted the hardest portion will again be the interview segment of the competition. As part of the provincial skills competition participants must not only complete a skill-based challenge but also participate in a mock job interview. Barker explained the students have been busy practicing in that regard even though the interview portion only represents five per cent of the overall mark. With tough competition that five per cent counts Barker
explained. Dolan explained he signed up for the SHSM program in Grade 9 after some struggle in deciding what he wanted to do. “I enjoyed it,” said Dolan, who will have to showcase his machining skills both on a mill and lathe. “I’ve been doing lots of extra work,” he said, noting he is excited to compete. VanGeemen said he has been busy prepping as well. During the DSBN level competition at the Seaway Mall it was preparation that paid as he demonstrated a variety of skills from brake flaring to electrical work. “I knew what I was doing, I was well prepared,” he said, noting his father was a mechanic, a fact that prompted him to sign up
for the SHSM program. “He taught me a lot,” said VanGeemen, who expects some stiffer competition at provincials. Barker pointed out the continued competitive success is proof the SHSM program is working. He noted further proof can be found in the fact many students of the program are hired straight out of high school. “A lot of our community partners hire our students right out of school,” said Barker, who will join the students on their trip to Waterloo next week. shenschel@niagarathisweek.com