Holland College Computer Engineering Technology instructor Rob Blanchard returned from Japan recently, where he served as an expert at the 39th annual WorldSkills competition held in Numazu City, Shizuoka Prefecture.

For four days, more than 800 competitors drawn from 61 member countries and regions vied for top honours in a diverse range of skills. From cooking to computers to cabinet making and just about everything in between, students, who have earned the right to represent their countries in regional and national competitions take months working with a trainer and an expert to prepare to the event.

Blanchard has been involved with the WorldSkills Competition for six years now, first as a trainer, and then as an expert. Experts may be scattered across the country, so when a student wins the right to go to the international competition, a trainer is selected in the student’s area to work with them to prepare for the competition. The expert assigns projects based on the areas of expertise a student is likely going to have to draw on in competition, and the trainer oversees the work.

This year, Blanchard was the expert responsible for guiding Quebec student Tommy Boucher in the Computer Networking category. Although the expert and the student were frequently in contact with each other in the weeks and months leading up to the competition, once they arrived in Japan, contact was prohibited. Boucher spent a few days touring schools and preparing for his competition, while Blanchard met with experts from 21 other countries, to develop the tasks the students would be expected to complete.

In all, Canada won six medals. Boucher finished a respectable fourth out of 21 competitors, earning a medallion of excellence.

Blanchard said that the experts keep in touch with each other during the year leading up to the competition.

“It’s great for professional development,” he said. “You learn a lot about what’s going on in the IT world. Provincial, national, and World Skills Competitions are a fantastic way to make people aware of the value of technology and trades. In the IT field, it is estimated that there will be 85,000 positions to be filled within the next 3 years in Canada."

Jake Baird, Holland College’s Vice President and Chief Learning Officer said that Blanchard exemplifies the high calibre of the college’s faculty.

“Rob is representative of the level of ability and the commitment our learning managers in their areas of expertise. His participation in the World Skills competition enables him to bring the latest information in his field back to his students,” he said.

In 2009, Prince Edward Island will host the SkillsCanada national competitions, and the WorldSkills Competition will be held in Calgary. To find out more about SkillsCanada visit www.skillscanada.com.