Students benefit from competition

P.E.I. high school students can now receive a credit toward high school graduation when they compete in Skills Canada competitions at the provincial and national levels.

The Department of Education and Early Childhood Development recently approved the organization as an external credit provider, which allows high school students participating in the Skills Canada P.E.I. competitions to receive a Grade 12 elective credit that counts toward total credits required for graduation.

“We’re very excited to be able to provide Island students with this opportunity,” said executive director Tawna MacLeod. “This credit not only acknowledges the time and commitment these students put into competition, it also gives students welldeserved recognition for the valuable learning that takes place while they’re participating in Skills Canada P.E.I. competitions and activities.”

Skills Canada P.E.I., part of a pan-Canadian organization, is the first of 13 member organizations to receive approval for external credit for students participating in competitions.

“It’s great to see P.E.I. taking the lead on this,” said Josh Silver, board president. “I suspect we’ve paved the way for other Skills Canada offices to follow suit. We’re very pleased to be partnering with the department to provide Island youth with a wide range of learning experiences.”

Students will be able to receive external credit for competing in the provincial and national Skills competitions or by accumulating credit hours by competing in multiple years of competition throughout their high school years. For information about Skills Canada P.E.I. external credit contact MacLeod at 902-566-9352.