Georgian College

27 GEORGIANVIEW 2024 PRINT EDITION NEW TECHNOLOGY NEW TECHNOLOGY The Skills Ontario competition welcomed the best skilled trades and technologies students from Ontario colleges, offering a unique opportunity for competitors to showcase their expertise in their fields. This year, two students from the Electromechanical Engineering Technology – Mechatronics program were included in a group of 10 Georgian students who won a variety of gold, silver and bronze medals, continuing Georgian's trend of success at this competition. Ben Bader, a student in the Mechatronics program won a gold medal in the Additive Manufacturing category, while bronze medals were awarded to Mechatronics student Kevin Armstrong (see main story) and his teammate Scott Middlebrook, for the Mechatronics category. "Learning we had won a medal was an amazing feeling," says Kevin. "Many of our competitors had a lot more time to prepare and practise than we did, so knowing that we were still able to keep up with them - and even beat most - was a huge confidence boost. It reinforces to us that our time at the college and all the classes we took has set us up perfectly to work in this field." Gold medals were also awarded to Ryle Reynolds for Computer Numerical Control Machining, Kyla Cosier for Aesthetics, Joshua Merritt for Outdoor Powered Equipment, and a team of two; Nhu (Liam) Nguyen and Evan Crabb for Geographic Information Systems. Emily Shaver-Miller won silver for Hairstyling and Aidan Crandall scored a silver medal for Outdoor Powered Equipment. A total of 26 students competed in 15 competitions. Students win medals at Skills Ontario competition skill sets is the answer many aspiring professionals like Kevin have been searching for. "It has been an immensely rewarding experience introducing this program to the Georgian community and our students," says Tanveer. "Not only has it appealed to a diverse spectrum of students from all backgrounds and every walk of life, including high school students, international students and those looking for a second career, it also provides a one-of-a-kind mix of skills training that will guarantee their preparedness for an ever-evolving job market." From courses centred on factory simulations, machine shop work, web interfaces, programmable logic controllers (PLC) and beyond, Kevin has spent the last three years learning how to design, build and troubleshoot advanced systems while blending mechanical, electrical and computer skills to make things work more efficiently and intelligently. And with his instructors' support and encouragement, he's empowered to take the reins in his own education. "Instead of limiting them to their individual silos, Georgian enables me to bring all these skills together and gives me the freedom to come up with my own solutions to any challenge," says Kevin. "This means I got to see my work in action and watch as it solved the problem exactly how I imagined it would. This was an experience I expect to carry over into my future career as I tackle even bigger and more complex challenges." Looking back on the Mechatronics journey so far, now three years since its launch, Georgian's Lead Academic Technologist David Minielly expresses how the vision for this boundary-breaking program's impact is only continuing to expand with each subsequent year. "From our curriculum to our labs, Mechatronics is creating an ecosystem where students are prepared to make their mark in the real world," shares David. "And though we've only just started, we are constantly trying to improve the program to ensure we meet the evolving needs of our students and the employers they will eventually support." As Kevin and his classmates near the start of the next phase of their journeys and embark on promising careers across countless industries like aerospace, transportation, mining and consumer products, he reflects on the program's most rewarding aspects. "After many challenging classes, fulfilling projects and hands- on experiences, there is no better feeling than witnessing how everything I've learned across these different disciplines has started to come together," says Kevin. "At the start, it was sometimes hard to see how it all connected, but as we put our knowledge into practice, it became clear how each piece fits into the puzzle. The Mechatronics program is a gateway to all the essential skills, expertise and experience you need to be a tech army of one."

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