Skills / Compétences Canada

The design community has contributed so much to my professional career and personal growth. The idea of paying it forward by nurturing the future generation of designers by sharing my knowledge and expertise is what drew me to volunteer my time at Skills / Compétences Canada. This non-profit organization is dedicated to promoting careers in technology and skilled trades.

As Co-Chair of their National Technical Committee of Graphic Design, I worked closely with representatives from each province and territory to spearhead the planning and designing process at various levels of their industry competitions across the country. My responsibilities included identifying sets of skills and techniques to be tested, designing the project and judging criteria, and evaluating competitors at the secondary and post-secondary level during annual skill competitions. I worked with other committee members and educators across the country to define a curriculum that includes unique projects each year.

I strongly believe in educational equity, regardless of where you come from. After being exposed to the extreme knowledge, skill, and funding gaps between provinces and territories, I felt compelled to help bridge these gaps. During my 10-year tenure, this came in the form of consulting and mentoring various students and educators all across Canada. Before volunteering here, I had noticed that only certain provinces would dominate in succeeding at industry competitions. Now in the last few years, I've been delighted to witness more and more medalists come from various other parts of Canada. I look forward to seeing this trend continue for years to come.