Two Conestoga faculty represented Canada as experts at the WorldSkills Competition in Lyon, France.
A competitor works on a masonry challenge in the WorldSkills Competition held in Lyon, France.
Rene Letoile and Josh Hamilton lent their expertise at the global event, held September 10 to 15 with about 1,400 young competitors from more than 70 member countries and regions competing in 59 skill areas for the title of world champion in their respective trade.
WorldSkills Team Canada 2024 had 28 members compete in 26 skill areas at the event, held every two years to inspire youth to discover the many interesting careers available in the skilled trade and technology sectors.
Letoile oversaw competitors from 21 countries as the world skills chief expert in bricklaying, and Hamilton was there as the Canadian expert in mechatronics. Their work started long before the international competition, helping to train and prepare the Canadian competitors.
“This involves setting up a training plan and going to the competitor or arranging for them to come to us to train; they can be from anywhere in Canada,” Letoile said. “This is typically more than a one-year process as the competitors are selected at the Skills Canada competition held annually in May.”
At the global competition, the focus switches to working with experts from other participating countries to hold a fair and transparent competition that showcases the skill area. The experts take part in judging the competitors’ work, and medals are awarded to the top three.
The role of chief expert for Letoile came with extra responsibility to lead the expert group in decision-making and organizing the competition to ensure it was fair for everyone. This is an elected role by peers, and the person must have at least three WorldSkills Competition experiences.
The competition’s skill areas represent six sectors: manufacturing and engineering technology, information and communication technology, construction technology, transportation and logistics, creative art and fashion, and social and personal services.
Bricklaying will also be the focus of a competition hosted at Conestoga’s Waterloo campus on September 25. The Spec Mix Bricklayer 500 Regional Series consists of 23 qualifying competitions held across North America where competitors in the 60-minute bricklaying battle designed to test speed, skill and stamina are challenged to build the highest and best 26-foot-long brick wall with as few craftsmanship errors as possible. The winning mason earns a roster spot at the 2024 World Championship taking place January 24 in Las Vegas during the World of Concrete tradeshow.
Conestoga has a dedicated masonry training centre and has been offering programming in bricklaying for more than 14 years to help meet the growing need for workers trained in this trade.
The Government of Canada reports that the employment outlook will be good for bricklayers in Ontario through 2025, given the steady demand for new housing and provincial infrastructure investments, as well as retirements. According to BuildForce Canada, the industry in Ontario will need to add about 36,300 additional workers between 2023 and 2032 to keep pace with construction demands.
Conestoga offers the three levels of in-school training required for the Brick and Stone Mason apprenticeship; after completing the in-school and on-the-job training, the apprentice can apply to write their Red Seal exam to obtain their certification as a brick and stone mason.
A one-year program is also offered for those looking to pursue a masonry career, but don’t have any experience. The Construction Techniques - Brick and Stone program is a post-secondary certificate designed to provide the student with skills and knowledge to enter the industry, effectively a pre-apprenticeship program that helps graduates secure work.
Masonry programs are part of the School of Trades and Apprenticeship.