Derrick MacDonald, a resident of Stratford and a graduate of Holland College, earned a silver medal in this year’s WorldSkills Americas competition, held in Sao Paolo, Brazil recently.

Holland College and Skills Canada PEI were on hand at the Charlottetown airport to welcome him and his coach, Scott Zwicker, an instructor at Holland College, when they returned from the competition.

“We are so proud of Derrick,” said Tawna MacLeod, Executive Director of Skills Canada PEI. “He excelled in a field of highly-skilled competitors. To be able to say that you’re one of the best in the World in your chosen trade, and have a medal to prove it, is not something a lot of people can say.”

MacDonald was part of the Canadian team that returned from Brazil with nine medals, ranking third against 19 other countries and regions in the Americas. The team was made up of young men and women from each province and territory, and competed in 12 of the 35 trades and technology challenges at WorldSkills Americas 2012. The 14 talented young Canadians competed against more than 800 competitors from 19 WorldSkills Americas members in an Olympic-style team and individual competitions within specialized skilled trade and technology categories such as Plumbing, Restaurant Service and Graphic Design.

P.E.I. was represented at this world event by MacDonald and his coach, Zwicker, as well as by Susan LeFort, manager of Apprenticeship Training, who was coaching competitor in the CNC category.