Ontario (December 2, 2020) – Skills Ontario is continuing to encourage youth to develop their skills and build their confidence through a new initiative, the 2020 Skills Ontario Winterfest, or #SkillsWinterfest2020. With a variety of activities to choose from, including workshops in gingerbread baking and connecting circuits, presentations to learn more about skilled trade and technology careers, as well as challenges in festive sweater design and ornament decorating, Ontarians can explore skilled professions and the skills required for them all while celebrating the winter season and staying safe at home.

“We’re very proud to continue to bring virtual learning opportunities to Ontarians,” says Ian Howcroft, CEO of Skills Ontario. “Skills Ontario works to ensure that our province’s young people are given the chance to explore skilled trades and technologies through experiential learning, and during these challenging times, we’ve adapted and created our programs to be delivered virtually. The #SkillsWinterfest2020 is another one of our initiatives that we are very proud to provide – we’re looking forward to hosting live sessions and fun challenges!”

Every activity through the 2020 Skills Ontario Winterfest is free to participate in. The virtual presentations do not require any materials. Some workshops, however, come with a materials kit that will be mailed to each registered participant. Although Skills Ontario encourages Ontarians to participate in the live workshops for guidance, kits will have full instructions and can be done independently.

The #SkillsWinterfest2020 challenges only require a Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, or TikTok account, as participants are to submit their project on one of those platforms. With three challenges and 10 possible categories to win in, Skills Ontario will be awarding winners with a choice from a variety of gift cards. The amount given to the People’s Choice winner (the post with the most social media interactions) will also be matched as a donation to the food bank in the winner’s town.

All details on this new initiative can be found on the Skills Ontario website at skillsontario.com/winterfest2020. Along with Twitter, Skills Ontario can also be found on TikTok at @skillsontario, on Instagram at @skillsontario, on LinkedIn at “Skills Ontario”, on Facebook at “Skills Canada - Ontario,” and on YouTube at “Skills Ontario.” Skills Ontario looks forward to continuing to provide fun and interactive learning opportunities to build a strong and robust workforce.

About Skills Ontario
Skills Ontario has been growing a portfolio of programs to inspire and engage youth since 1989, including presentations, career exploration events, competitions, summer camps, and Young Women’s and First Nations, Métis, and Inuit workshops and conferences. To see how you can partner with Skills Ontario and help make a difference in the lives of Ontario youth, visit skillsontario.com/get-involved.