'This was our show': Sheridan proud of WorldSkills event at Magna Skilled Trades Centre
Nov 11, 2022 Since leading the charge for Industrial Mechanics (IM) to be added to WorldSkills in 2015, Craig Brazil has overseen competitions in the Middle East, Asia, Europe and South America.
But the veteran Sheridan millwrighting professor’s favourite experience supporting the “Olympics of skills” might be the one that took place in his home country.
“This is the proudest I’ve been of anything I’ve done in my skills competition journey,” Brazil says of the recently-concluded WorldSkills Competition 2022 Special Edition’s IM event, which took place in the Magna Skilled Trades Centre at Sheridan’s Davis Campus. “It even supersedes helping get this competition added to WorldSkills, because this was in our house. This was our show.”
And that show was met with rave reviews from skilled trades experts and officials from across the world, many of whom were pleasantly surprised by how smoothly and professionally the competition ran. WorldSkills normally contests all of its events in one host country, but when WorldSkills Shanghai 2022 was postponed due to pandemic prevention and control restrictions, the organization created the 2022 Special Edition that saw 62 skills contested across 15 countries and regions. Sheridan was the only Canadian location to host an event and one of two in North America.
WorldSkills Competition 2022 Special Edition — Industrial Mechanics
“I’d sent pictures of our venue to each country’s IM expert in advance, but things always look very different in person. The best way to put it is that they all said Magna Skilled Trades Centre was way bigger than they thought it would be and way better than they thought it would be,” Brazil says. “Hosting a WorldSkills event is such a big undertaking, and people were amazed that we and Skills Canada were able to put this competition together in just three months. We couldn’t have achieved this if everyone wasn’t pulling in the same direction.”
The competition itself was extremely close. Sota Morimoto of Japan claimed gold with 727 points, seven ahead of silver medallist Lukas Schwarzler of Austria. Korea’s Hyeonsu Lee (717 points) and Switzerland’s Gil Beutler (716) earned bronze medals, while Zong-Han Lin of Chinese Taipei (700) received a Medallion of Excellence. “When I look at the final scores and the way the projects were designed, I’m very happy,” Brazil says, referring to the four modules competitors were asked to complete over a three-day span. “I know it was a very fair competition.”
“I was energized by the competition's many facets — from the competitors' amazing skillsets to the teamwork and camaraderie among all those who were able to take part.”
– Steve Henry, Magna Director of Apprenticeship and Training
Other highlights of the week-long event included Ontario Minister of Colleges and Universities Jill Dunlop and six other MPPs attending the opening ceremonies and reception sponsored by Unifor; a trip to Niagara Region for competitors, sponsored by Unifor BHMO Skilled Trades Council; opportunities to connect with industry partners and alumni; students of Brampton senior elementary school Fletcher's Creek touring Magna Skilled Trades Centre and the Skills Ontario Trades & Tech Truck; and a closing dinner sponsored by Magna prior to the medal presentations.
“I was energized by the competition’s many facets — from the competitors’ amazing skillsets to the teamwork and camaraderie among all those who were able to take part, including judges, coaches and team members of each nation represented,” said Magna Director of Apprenticeship and Training Steve Henry, who graduated from Sheridan’s Tool and Die Maker program in 2000.
“This fall has been a very busy time for everyone, but I hope the tears of joy shed by competitors at the closing ceremonies helped compensate for all the hard work put forward by multiple teams,” added Sheridan Faculty of Applied Science & Technology Dean Lindsay Engel.
“We are exceptionally proud of the event.”
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