Students from Conestoga's Woodworking and Cabinetmaker Apprenticeship programs competed in an all-day provincial event held at the Woodworking Centre of Ontario at the Kitchener - Doon campus.
The college hosted the annual Architectural Woodwork Manufacturers Association of Canada (AWMAC) Cabinetmaking Apprenticeship competition on March 16 with students from Conestoga, Humber and Georgian colleges competing for spots in the national competition.
Second and third place went to two Conestoga students in their third year of the Woodworking Technology program, Aidan Barker (2nd place - $250 cash prize) and Ian Kichiy (3rd place - $100 cash prize). First place went to Humber’s Jasneet Singh Sidhu.
Competitors were required to complete a cabinet project to AWMAC industry standards. Components included applying plastic laminate to a substrate, attaching solid oak headers to a top panel, and manufacturing a white melamine cabinet with a door and drawer. The students worked for nine hours to craft their cabinets.
The winning cabinet will be shipped to Quebec where it will be judged again in the AWMAC national competition.
Steve Bader, professor in the Schools of Engineering & Technology and Trades & Apprenticeship and Woodworking program coordinator, was impressed by how well the students managed in the competitive environment while crafting their cabinets.
“The students had a challenging project to build which required many of the skills they have learned in our programs. The time element added an extra level of urgency, and while some students made minor mistakes, they were all able to overcome them to complete the project,” Bader said. “Overall, I would say it was a very long day but a very fun day of competition.”
The Woodworking Centre of Ontario is counted among North America’s leading training centres for woodworking. This respected and renowned institution established by Conestoga in 1988 has produced countless industry leaders and talented craftspeople who have gone on to have fulfilling careers in the woodworking trade.