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Highernumbersat16thannualskillscompetitionTerritorialcompetitionseekstoendtradesstigmaEducationTradesEducationTerritorial13TuesdayMay132014ByMARIACHURCHWithslightlyhighernumbersthanlastyearthe16thannualTerritorialSkillsCompetitioninYellowknifelastweeksawmorethan70studentsdemon-stratetheirskillsin16differ-enttradesandtechnologyjobs.Opentobothpost-secondaryandhighschoolstudentstheannualterritory-widecompeti-tionwasheldatmultiplehighschoolsandtechnicalcentresacrossthecityonTuesday.JanFullertonorganizerandexecutivedirectorofSkillsCan-adaNWTsaidtheusualtradesofphotographyandcookingwerepopularonceagainthisyearandsawthemostentrants.Othercontestsincludedcarpentryheavymechanicsbakingelectricalgraphicdesignhairstylingplumb-ingandwelding.Thisyearalsosawtheresurgenceofcabinetmak-ingwithGrahamChananapprenticecabinetmakerinYellowknifevyingunchal-lengedforthegoldmedal.Whilethebulkofthereg-istrantscamefromYellow-knifetheregionalpresenceincreasedthisyearwithmed-alistsfromFortSmithHayRiverBehchokoFortSimp-sonFortMcPhersonAklavikInuvikandUlukhaktok.Goldmedalistsfromtheter-ritorialcompetitionwillgoontocompeteattheSkillsCan-adaNationalCompetitioninTorontofromJune4to7.LastyearNWTelectricalappren-ticeRichardNearybroughthomeagoldmedalfromtheCanada-widecompetition.ByMARIACHURCHThethreeterritorialedu-cationministershavetakentherststepstowardgreatercommunicationandinforma-tionsharingwhenitcomestoNortherneducation.NWTEducationMinisterJacksonLaffertywasjoinedbyhisterritorialcounterpartsforthersttimeinatri-territorialforumtodiscusswaysthethreejurisdictionscanworktogethertoachievesuccessforstudentsintheNorthfrompre-kinder-gartentoadultlearners.Thethreeterritorialjuris-dictionsareveryuniqueinhowwedeliverthingswiththeremotenessandhighcostofliving.Wearegoingtobestandingunitedtogetherwhenweapproachthefederalgov-ernmentorprovincialcoun-terpartsLaffertytoldTheJournalonFriday.Thisistherstmeetingwevehadwhereweareshar-inginformationsoweknowwhattheotherjurisdictionsaredoing.Itwasagreatin-teractionhesaid.Thethreeministersdis-cussedwaysofclosingthegapbetweenAboriginalandnon-Aboriginalstudentspos-siblefederalcutstotheter-ritorialliteracycouncilsandtouchedonTeacherEducationProgramsofferedbyeachofthethreeterritorialcolleges.Laffertysaidtheministershopetocontinuemeetingatleastannuallytogetasenseofwhereeducationishead-inginthethreeterritories.ResidentialschoolseducationafocusOneofmajortopicsdiscussedbytheministerswashoweachterritoryisincorporatingthehistoryandlegacyofresiden-tialschoolsintheclassroom.AccordingtoLaffertytheNWTandNunavutarelead-ingthepackinCanadaandinternationallyforincludingaresidentialschoolscom-ponentintheirhighschooleducationsystems.DevelopedbytheterritoryoveranumberofyearstheresidentialschoolsunitoftheNorthernStudiesprogramwasimplementedasaman-datorycomponentforGrade10studentsin2013andhassincereceivedattentionacrossCanadaandabroad.Weregettingalotofposi-tivefeedbackfromeducatorseventheparentsandstu-dentsLaffertysaid.Otherjurisdictionsareaskingformoredetailedinformationontheactualcurriculumandhowwedevelopedit...Itwasveryuniquetherstofitskind.Thismaterialisquitecriticaltoourschoolsaswemoveforwardtoreconcileourpastsandmoveforwardwithhealingandhopeforthefuturehesaid.MoreengagementoneducationrenewalTheactionplanpromisedintheGNWTsframeworkManyoftheterritorialcom-petitorscomingawaywithgoldmedalsthisyearwerefromYellowknifewiththeexceptionofDawsonKovacsfromInuvikwhowongoldinworkplacesafetyUlukhak-toksNataljaWestwoodwiththegoldmedalinsecondary-levelphotographyAlainnaCarpenterfromInuvikwithagoldinsecondarysewingandBehchokosAndrewWeyallonwiththegoldinmillwright.Fullertonsaidthenumbersfortheannualcompetitionwereslightlyhigherthanlastyearbutstillnotashighasshedliketoseethem.Iwouldliketobeseeingitcloserto90or100shesaid.AccordingtoFullertonthegaininnumbersfromthere-gionalcommunitiesislikelybecauseoftheincreasingpopularityofthetworegionalcompetitionsheldthispastFebruaryinInuvikandHayRiverbothofwhichsawhighernumbersthanexpected.IthinkthatwearelosinggroundmaybeinourYel-lowknifecompetitorsandourpost-secondarycompeti-torsshesaid.GoaltoendthestigmaAcrossthecountryskilledtradespeopleareinhugedemandwithdecliningnum-bersofhighschoolgradu-atesgoingintothetrades.Themaingoalbehindalltheskillscompetitionistogivemuch-neededrecog-nitiontothetradesandun-derminethestigmathatitsasecond-choiceoptionforyouthFullertonsaid.PeoplewillsaysomethinglikeYourereallysmartwhyareyougoingintoculinaryartswhenyoucouldgotouniversityandbecomeadoctorWerestilltryingtocombatthatmen-talityandtotryandgetmorepeopleseeingtheskilltradesandtechnologyasviablecareeroptionsandrst-choicecareeroptionsshesaid.Thecompetitionisalsoanopportunityfortheyouthtonetworkwithbusinessesandtradespeopleforpotentialjobplacements.NortherneducationministerssharebestpracticesNWTseducationrenewalwillbedelayedformoreconsultationforeducationrenewalta-bledlastNovemberwhichpromisessweepingreformstotheterritoryseducationsystemwillbedelayedbyseveralmoremonthsformoreconsultationLaf-fertysaid.Iwashopingtohavethatbyspringsessionbutweretoldthatitstoorushedweneedmoreengagementwiththepublicwiththeeducatorswiththeparentsallwalksoflifehesaid.Itwillbetheirdocumentitwillbetheirvoice.TheministersaidhistwoterritorialcounterpartswillbewatchingcloselyastheNWTtacklesitseducationoverhaul.Itsahugeundertakingandtheyareveryinterestedinhowwemoveforwardonthishesaid.PhotocourtesyofECEPhotosDaveBroshaTerritorialeducationministersPaulQuassaElaineTaylorandJacksonLaffertymeetinYellowknifelastweek.OliviaWilliamsfromYellowknifepreparesvegetablesduringthecookingcomponentoftheannualTerritorialSkillsCompetitionheldinYellowknifelastweek.YellowknifesAustinMillerwieldsaskillsaw.GraemeChanmeasures.KenyaParent-Desjardinsuseshairsprayonamannequin.