A CUT ABOVE

Lina Shamoun – Owner & Head Stylist, Artline Salon

Lina Shamoun is an award-winning hairstylist, entrepreneur, mentor and community leader. She is also a very proud alumnus of Skills Canada – Ontario (SCO), earning three consecutive Gold Medals in the Hairstyling contest at the Ontario Technological Skills Competition (OTSC). Lina also represented Ontario at the National Skills Competition, earning a Gold medal in 2003 and a Bronze in 2004. (Click here for a complete list of all her accomplishments.)

Her pathway to success started almost unknowingly. Four years after she had immigrated to Canada she was sitting in her Cosmetology class at St. Mary’s High School in Kitchener when her teacher asked the class who would like to compete at upcoming the OTSC. Lina immediately raised her hand.

At the time she was still learning the English language and wasn’t really sure what the word “compete” meant, or what the OTSC was. However, after it was explained to her she was ready and willing for the challenge.

That moment was the spark for Lina that ignited an extreme passion for the fascinating world of competitive hairstyling and a very successful career.

Lina is now the owner of Artline Salon, a business she started in 2007. She has 6 full-time employees and is currently training her third apprentice. Her business has had considerable growth over the past four years to the point that she will now be moving to a larger facility.

We sat down with Lina to ask her a few questions about her career.


SCO: How did your experience with Skills Canada - Ontario help you in making your career choice?

LS: My first opportunity to compete at the OTSC was what made me really want to pursue a career in hairstyling. The experience gave me the drive and ambition to take my career to the next level and be the best in my field. That is why I continue to compete internationally as well as train the new talent at Artline and help them grow, compete and achieve significant results.


SCO: What continues to motivate you?

LS: Being able to train young individuals and anyone willing to grow. I was given so much support early in my career and I feel it’s important to give back. I want to be able to help others realize their dreams, just as I have been able to.


SCO: What about your career makes you happy?

LS: I love what I do and am excited to come to work every day and work with a great team. I also like that I am still able to challenge myself and learn new skills by competing in contests around the world and attending international conferences, seminars and shows.


SCO: How do you define success?

LS: There is a quote that I once read that says, “Preparation meeting opportunity equals success.” That is how I approach all areas of my life.


SCO: What are your future goals?

LS: I would like to establish a Hairstyling Academy. There is a very high dropout rate in our industry. I believe that if young stylists are better prepared for the challenges we can ensure that they go on to have very successful careers.


SCO: What three pieces of advice would you give to students considering a career in the skilled trades?

LS: First would be to learn as much as you can about the trade. The programs offered by SCO are a great start. Secondly, find a mentor. It is important to have someone who you can train you. Finally, see what opportunities are out there. Job shadow someone first so you know that the career choice is the right fit for you. Network with people in the industry so you educate yourself on what future career opportunities may be available.

Ms Skills - From The Executive Director

Hello Ontario:

This is our last day in London, England.  Last night’s awards ceremony was tremendous.  I am so happy, and proud of Ryan Gomes, Aircraft Maintenance, and Jonathan Sinke, Cabinetmaking, who both earned bronze medals!!!  John also earned the Best of Nation Award for Canada.  They have worked extremely hard for this recognition – congratulations!

Thank you for reading my blog this week and sharing this wonderful experience with me.

Ms. Skills - Gail Smyth

Executive Director

Ms Skills - From The Executive Director

Greetings from England:

Well, I have now officially seen it all! Today I saw three young women and one man who had their designed in the hairdressing competition: one was wearing condoms (and, no, I am not kidding), another was wearing syringes and a third one a tree! The man was wearing a CD player in his hair. Hopefully, these creations don’t become too popular!

I am happy to report that Ben was back competing today. He still doesn’t look too well but good for him for getting back in the game.

Tom Middlebro', Offset Printing, is doing extremely well. I stood with his parents today as he prepared his printing project. I think it was pretty obvious that we were all very proud of him.

Jonathan Sinke, Cabinetmaking, is also doing well. He is well on his way to finishing his project so he should be in good shape for tomorrow (last day of competition).

I love watching Ryan Gomes, Aircraft Maintenance; he is very focused...it’s pretty exciting to watch all of them compete!

The weather has turned cool so Fall has arrived in London, England. We are joining Gary Cronkwright for dinner in a few minutes.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Ms. Skills - Gail Smyth

Executive Director

Ms Skills - From the Executive Director

Greetings from London, England, Day 7

Thanks to our new friend, Dr. Jane Lewis, from Cisco Systems Ltd., Ron and I had a very enjoyable “banquet” lunch at the Restaurant Servicing Contest.  Jane was very kind and gave us her tickets so we could join six others for a very memorable meal.  Our server was a very pleasant young woman from New Zealand.

We spent the entire day at the competition site from just after 9:00 a.m. and we just got back to our hotel a few minutes ago at 7:30 p.m.  Today I saw something I never imagined seeing at a skills competition; for the “Have a go” exhibit for refrigeration, students were given the instructions to make a key chain and when they were finished they used their key chain for entry into a small ice rink!

I will be bringing home lots of ideas for our summer camp program and possibly the elementary workshops at this year’s OTSC. 

It was nice to see Mary Wilson from WSIB at the Competition in England.  Mary arrived on Monday and left for home today.  Yesterday I saw Shaun Thorson, Carole Anne Ryan from Newfoundland, Claude Borque from Quebec, and Mark Bramer, the Canadian Expert in Cabinetmaking.  Jonathan Sinke, Cabinetmaking Competitor, was with Mark.  Johnathan’s family had a fundraiser for Jon in August of this year and Jon auctioned off two of his test projects for the London competition.  I was delighted to learn that the table I purchased is the project that they are making here in London.  It will always be a highlight of my London experience.

I stopped by the Mobile Robotic contest to speak briefly to Adrian Schut.  Adrian is to be commended; his co-competitor, Benjamin Church, took sick with the stomach flu in the middle of the night and was unable to participate so Adrian competed alone today.  They were sharing a hotel room but Adrian has been moved to a separate hotel room in the hopes that he won’t catch the bug that Ben has.  Please keep them in your thoughts.    I will be back at the competition site tomorrow morning and will report back again tomorrow night.

Good night for now,

Ms Skills - Gail Smyth
Executive Director

Ms Skills - From the Executive Director

Greetings from London, England, Day 6

I want you to imagine, if you can, a competition site that is three times larger than RIM Park in Waterloo and the host site for the Ontario Technological Skills Competition!  As I walked towards the Excel Centre and host of the 41^st World Skills Competition in London, England, I was informed by a guide that this site was 1 km in length and approximately ½ km in width and 1 million square feet – I know that for a fact because my feet are telling me that I walked 1 million square feet today.

All contest sites fit inside the Excel Centre including Gardening and Landscaping.  Today there were thousands of very young people visiting the site; these students were kept entertained because there were many, many hands-on activities for them to try under the caption “Give it a Try”.  I handed out maple sugar candies at the Skills Canada booth – they were a great hit with everyone.  I was pleased to note that the students were also very, very polite and always said please and thank you.

The Ontario students competing at this competition are all doing well; they may be nervous inside but they are all looking very calm, cool and collected.  I am proud to be here to witness their achievements.

It’s been another great day!  I will be back in touch again tomorrow.

Warmest regards,

Ms Skills - Gail Smyth

Executive Director

Ms Skills - From the Executive Director

Greetings from London, England, Day 5

Gary Cronkwright, Past Chair of the Board of Directors, arrived late last night – on time and with his luggage in hand.  We met for breakfast this morning and then spent the day on a sightseeing tour of beautiful London. I am glad to report that I had a wonderful, and very uneventful day.

We just returned from the Opening Ceremony for WorldSkills London and it was an absolutely amazing ceremony.  It began and ended with young people performing song, dance and drama from choirs from four nations:  Scotland, Ireland, England and Wales.  We have discussed for years the need to make sure the ceremonies were youth friendly and tonight it was on the mark!  It even started and ended on time, which was another first for a WorldSkills Opening Ceremony!

They announced that there were nearly 1,000 competitors from 50 countries competing over the next four days, and they are expecting over 200,000 visitors.

Tomorrow I will be heading to the ExCel Center for Day 1 of the competition.  We are becoming quite the experts when manipulating our way on the “Tube,” and tomorrow will be another new experience.  After having my first walk around the site, I will be staffing the booth at Canada House.


All the best,

Ms Skills - Gail Smyth
Executive Director

Ms Skills - From the Executive Director

It's finally here!  Team Canada is prepping and primping for the Opening Ceremonies of the World Skills Competition - WorldSkills London 2011.  Our very own Gail Smyth is on site and will be sending us daily updates!

Greetings from London, England:

At 2:00 p.m. on Friday, September 30^th, we (my husband, Ron, and I) arranged for a car to pick up at our house in Kitchener, Ontario and take us to the airport to pick us up for our 5:00 p.m. flight to Detroit.  The weather wasn’t terribly nice so we arrived at the airport shortly after 3:30 p.m. but still in lots of time to catch our flight.  Unfortunately, the flight from Detroit was late leaving Toronto so we arrived in Detroit 20 minutes before our flight to London was scheduled to leave.

The Captain was very reassuring – “Don’t worry, no one is going to miss their connection" ...famous last words.  Unfortunately, our gate seemed miles away from our departing gate and even though we ran most of the way, our names were being called in the distance and the plane left without us.

“Don’t worry,” said the young man at the gate, “we have you on a flight to Amsterdam.”  So we ran again but this time we were more fortunate even though we were the last two people on the plane.  We had an uneventful flight to Amsterdam; unfortunately we had a five-hour wait for our flight to London, England.  We have now been awake for 24 hours.

We arrived safely in London, England and spent the next 1½ hours waiting for our opportunity to speak to the Immigration Officer.  We were beginning to get a little edgy with each other, however, we anxiously went to collect our luggage and, guess what?  No luggage.  “Don’t worry,” said the nice gentleman at the complaint desk “you should have your luggage in two days.”

Disheartened, we nevertheless managed to figure out how to use the “Tube” and find our way to the Jenkins Hotel where we will be staying for the next ten days during the World Skills Competition.  I have a severe case of sleep apnea and, you guessed it, packed away in my missing suitcase is my sleeping machine so, needless to say, I have had a few very sleepless nights.

Obviously, without clean clothes, we haven’t strayed too far from our hotel waiting anxiously for our luggage to arrive.  I am pleased to report that at 12:00 noon today our luggage arrived safe and sound.


Gail Smyth
Executive Director

2011 Glenn Beatty Award Winner - Bob Tone

Where would we be without volunteers?  At Skills Canada-Ontario, we rely on the support of literally hundreds of people who work tirelessly, without pay, to help make a complex, multi-day event such as the OTSC run smoothly. 

While we value and appreciate every single one of our family of volunteers, it is our pleasure to honour one individual each year at the Closing Ceremony for the Ontario Technological Skills Competition with a special award to recognize their outstanding contributions to our organization.

This award is named for Glenn Beatty, a competitor in the Precision Machining contest at the 1997 OTSC.  Glenn earned a gold medal at that year’s OTSC, then went on to achieve the same stellar level of success at the Canadian Skills Competition in Red Deer, Alberta.

Glenn Beatty’s talents in Precision Machining not only earned him top marks at these provincial and national skills competitions; they also landed him a job at ATS Automation Tooling Systems in Cambridge, despite his young age.  Energetic and big-hearted, Glenn decided to give back to our organization by becoming a volunteer, so in 1998 Skills Canada – Ontario was the beneficiary of his enormous help at that year’s OTSC as a Marshal. 

Tragically, this kind and vibrant young man was taken from us in a motor vehicle accident in January 1999.  That same year, the Board of Directors of Skills Canada-Ontario created the Glenn Beatty Award in his name, as a way to pay tribute to his memory and to honour other exceptional volunteers who embody the same generous spirit that was such an integral part of who Glenn was.

This year’s recipient of the Glenn Beatty award is a gentleman who has become a fixture and familiar face in the Robotics contest.  It is our great pleasure and privilege to honour Bob Tone, Technical Chair of the Robotics Contest, as this year’s recipient of the Glenn Beatty Award.

 

Robotics is one of the most labour-intensive contests hosted at the Ontario Technological Skills Competition and Bob has embraced this role as the Technical Committee Chair at the provincial level.  The dedication he has to this contest is second only to the passion he has to the field of robotics.  He has ensured that Robotics is one of the most successful contests at the provincial and national Skills competitions, and has recently been approved as a World Expert who will be contributing to Worldskills 2011. 

On top of facilitating the Robotics contest, Bob also coordinates the registration of all students competing on behalf of the Toronto Catholic District School Board.  This is no small feat with a school board that size.

Passionate, hardworking and organized ― before the 2011 OTSC was complete, he had already begun preparations for next year’s provincial and national Robotics contest ― you can’t ask for anything more from a volunteer!

Click here for a full list of past recipients, and visit our website for more information on our awards and scholarships!

Skills Are Recognized

Name:  Jonathan Sinke

Hometown:  Jordan Station, Ontario

Contest Area:  Cabinetmaking

Being a world-class competitor will earn you many things.  Like the opportunity to represent your country at the World Skills Competition, knowledge, and, of course, new skills!

Another benefit of being one of the best in the world in a skilled trade is the recognition that comes from this prestigious honour.

Jonathan Sinke, a third year Cabinetmaking apprentice and student at Conestoga College, feels that winning gold at both the Ontario Technological Skills Competition and Canadian Skills Competition has gained him recognition within his community which will help him when he starts his own business.  “When potential clients see that I have won these skills competitions and what I have accomplished, even though I am young and don’t have 25 years of experience under my belt, it should help me to gain their confidence and trust.”

At Conestoga College, Jonathan is learning all the theoretical knowledge that comes along with the trade, in addition to hands-on training in the workshop which is equipped with all of the latest machinery.  “This is great because many of us who work in smaller shops would not get the opportunity to work with some of the production machines, except through school.”  After graduation Jonathan plans to write the Red Seal Exam which would certify him as a Cabinetmaker, and is recognized throughout North America.

In preparation for the World Skills Competition Jonathan has been training at night and on weekends while working fulltime and also attending a night course in small business studies.  He is very excited to see the top young trades from all around the world.  “I am sure each nation has their own way of doing things, but we will all be brought together working on the same project with the same desire to do our best.”

Jonathan says there are good job opportunities in Cabinetmaking and that there will be even more in the future.  “Many of the competent tradesmen are now getting older and starting to retire and there are not enough young people with the skills needed to fill the gap.”  If you’re a young person thinking about a career in the skilled trades and technologies Jonathan’s advice is to definitely pursue a skilled trade because your skills will be in demand in the future!

Grace Under Pressure

Name:  Adrian Schut & Benjamin Church

Hometown:  Almonte, Ontario

Contest Area:  Mobile Robotics

How many Grade 11 students from Almonte, Ontario can you think of that will be travelling across the Atlantic to compete against the best the world has to offer?  We know two.

Adrian Schut and Benjamin Church are two of 35 young people that will be representing Canada at the 2011 World Skills Competition.  To get there they won Gold at both the Ontario Technological Skills Competition and the Canadian Skills Competition.

The Mobile Robotics contest involves knowledge of fundamental principles, automation and electrical/electronic technologies.  Using that knowledge, the competitors are required to construct and program a robot to undertake a variety of tasks.  Success in this contest requires a lot of practice and confidence.  To ensure they are ready for the challenge, Adrian and Benjamin have been spending up to 3 hours training every day.  They anticipate on increasing that to 5 – 8 hours a day as the competition comes closer.

After all the hard work to prepare for the World Skills Competition, and experience gained from the OTSC and CSC, they are confident in their abilities to perform on the world stage.  “The Ontario Technological Skills Competition has given me the confidence to perform under pressure and in a timed environment,” says Adrian.  “This will also help me in any career I pursue.”  Benjamin adds that through the OTSC he has become comfortable performing in front of an audience and gained experience competing as part of a team.

Although both have different career interests after high school, they are unified in one thing.  The advice they would give to other young people considering becoming involved in Skills Canada – Ontario’s programs is to give it a try.  “The OTSC is an awesome way to experience the thrill of the trades.”

Opening Doors for Future Career Choices

Name:  Tyler Hackney

Hometown:  Cambridge, Ontario

Contest Area:  CNC Turning

Students that participate in Skills Canada – Ontario’s programs each have their own unique experience.  Tyler Hackney, a Gold Medalist at both the Ontario Technological Skills Competition (OTSC) and Canadian Skills Competition (CSC) in 2010, used his experience to open doors for future career opportunities.

A graduate of Fanshawe College’s Manufacturing Engineering Technology program, Tyler has used his education to prepare for his career and the OTSC.  “Before I enrolled in this program I knew very little about CNC machining.”

Tyler is employed as a Quality Measuring Technician.  Many of the skills he learned in school and from his experience at the OTSC and CSC he now uses in his job.  “I’m responsible for performing quality checks on the parts going out of the plant.  I also check the pre-made parts coming into the plant from other suppliers and read blueprints to ensure that all of the parts are made correctly.”

Skills Canada – Ontario’s programs provide the stage and opportunity for students to achieve success and realize their full potential.  “For me the Ontario Technological Skills Competition opened the doors for other career opportunities that may come from competing at the World Skills Competition.  That is very exciting.”

Training for the World Skills Competition requires a lot of dedication.  Tyler has been preparing by working with the computer software that he will be using in the CNC Turning contest. “After a few months of practice with the software I will start to work hands-on with the machine and running off parts.”

Tyler feels that there are a lot of great job opportunities in his field.  His advice to other young people considering a career in the skilled trades and technologies is to take as much schooling as you can.  “I will always be looking for opportunities to learn and grow in my career so I can advance my skills and earn more money.”

Love What You Do!

Name:  Tom Middlebro'

Hometown:  Guelph, Ontario

Contest:  Offset Printing

The equation for a successful career is one part perspiration, one part passion.  There couldn't be a better description for Tom Middelbro', Canada’s representative in Offset Printing at the 2011 World Skills Competition.

A graduate of the Graphic Design Production – Digital program at Mohawk College, Tom, has learned lots about pre-press and how to make designs that will be practical for the application where they will be used.  Now that he has finished school he has one goal in mind:  win Gold at the World Skills Competition in 2011.

“As a kid watching the Olympics on TV, or any sort of world competition for that matter, I always wished that someday I could represent the country that I love, as well as make something of myself on the world stage,” says Tom.  “Not many people get to do that, and I think it is an amazing opportunity that I will never forget.”

Tom credits the Ontario Technological Skills Competition with helping him prepare for his career.  “It was a great chance for me to continue doing what I had found that I loved doing, which was printing. When I entered this competition and was given the chance to further develop my skills on the press I was very excited.  When I won the Canadian Skills Competition and qualified for Team Canada, I was ecstatic because I was given the chance to become one of the best press operators in the country, and possibly the world. If it wasn't for that first competition, I would likely have never touched a printing press again, and for the chance that competition gave me, I am grateful.”

As for career choice, Tom feels that a perfect storm is brewing.  “The print industry is going through a huge change at the moment. Companies are switching from offset printing methods to digital printing, but this is the perfect opportunity for me to get into the printing world and learn the new technologies.” 

His advice for other students a career in the skilled trades and technologies is quite simple.  GO FOR IT!

“We need skilled tradespeople. I remember being in high school and not thinking of the skilled trades as a career option, but once I got to see how amazingly skilled these people are, combined with the demand for people of this calibre, I realized how fun and important these trades are.” 

No Limits

Name:  Ryan Gomes

Hometown:  Cambridge, Ontario

Contest:  Aircraft Maintenance

Pearson International Airport is one of the world’s busiest airports – 19^th actually.  Over 30 million passengers and 400,000 airplanes move through the airport each year. 

To carry all those passengers safely to their destination requires that the planes be maintained by qualified professionals.  Talk about pressure.

Ryan Gomes will be representing Canada at the World Skills Competition.  He says the Ontario Technological Skills Competition and the Canadian Skills Competition taught him how to work under pressure. “The competition is a fun and exciting experience, and at the same time can be stressful for a first time competitor because everyone wants to do their best.”  Ryan also said that after being expected to perform your best while surrounded by spectators and then having your work thoroughly judged at the competition, it is easy to go to work and be confident and work your hardest and best. “The competitions not only help you become better at your trade, by the careful examination and advice afterwards from the experts, but it helps you become a better trades person in general by applying a bit of pressure to you, and letting you perform your best.”

To learn his trade, Ryan attended Centennial College’s School of Transportation.  This program taught him all the basics skills to become an Aircraft Maintenance Technician and perform his job with confidence. “I know that the aircraft I work on will conform to the standards of airworthiness.”

Ryan currently works for an Approved Maintenance Organization where he is working towards his Aircraft Maintenance Engineer (AME) Licence. After he obtains his licence his options are wide open.  “I have always wanted to be in charge of my own career, in charge of make my own decisions.”  Those decisions might include starting a small aircraft maintenance company, possibly working for Transport Canada, or being a teacher.

Currently Ryan is also busy preparing for the World Skills Competition which will be an intensive year long training program.  “I really want to prove to the world and myself, that I am the best that Canada has to offer, and there is no reason that I cannot be the best. It isn't out of my grasp, I just need to make sure I put the hard work and dedication that I have like everything that I do.”

Aircraft Maintenance is a field that has limitless job opportunities. As an AME, there are very many opportunities to travel the world, and work on planes in remote areas. “There are no limits to how much you can do in aviation, except for you telling yourself that you can't.”  Ryan’s message to other young people is that the skilled trades are an excellent career choice, whether you decide to be an aircraft maintenance engineer, or any other of the great skilled trades Canada has to offer. “Students should really consider skilled trades if they like working with their hands, their head, and like a great paying, rewarding career.”