Three Assiniboine students medal at Skills Canada competition

Three Assiniboine Community College students won medals at the 2019 Skills Canada National Competition held in Halifax this week.

They were among six Assiniboine students who competed in the national event after winning gold medals at the Skills Manitoba competition in April. Three other Assiniboine students were awarded medals at the qualifying Skills Manitoba competition earlier this year and competed at Skills Canada: Hayden Kaastra (Precision Machining), Kelsey Henningsen (3D Digital Game Art), and Levi Ferguson (Carpentry).

“Competing with Team Manitoba was a fantastic experience that I will cherish for years to come. I'm incredibly grateful for all the support I received from my coaches and Assiniboine Community College that allowed me to participate in such an exciting competition,” said Tulsa Labonté, who won gold in IT Software Solutions for Business.

In her competition, Labonté worked for 10 hours on creating and modifying a variety of documents for a Nova Scotia seafood company. Tasks ranged from creating and managing employee databases, to making company invoices, to developing interactive presentations, Labonté said.

The second-year Business Administration student, who will graduate later this month with a specialization in management, said her program helped develop her proficiency with Microsoft business applications such as Word, Access and Excel.

“One of the tasks we were asked to do was create an amortization schedule for a loan. Due to the accounting courses I've taken, I had a comprehensive understanding of what an amortization schedule is that went beyond what formulas to use. I also drew from the knowledge I gained from my marketing courses to create posters and presentations that aligned with the company's brand image,” Labonté said.

Kate Pelletier, Assiniboine’s dean of trades, and access & community programs, said the college “is exceptionally proud of the achievements of these students. Their medals are a testament to their drive and determination and an endorsement of our educational philosophy of ‘learn by doing.’”

Bobbie Robertson, Assiniboine’s dean of business, said the students’ success reflects well on them and the college. “These students have shown that they are among the best in their fields among students from across Canada. We congratulate them on their exceptional performance.”

Below: James Shaw (left) and Robert Black (right). Tulsa Labonté is featured in too middle.