Skills/Compétences Canada joins the Let's Talk Careers Competition partnership

Inspiring Career Awareness: Let’s Talk Science, with ChatterHigh, welcomes Skills/Compétences Canada as a Partner for the Let’s Talk Careers Competition

Let’s Talk Science is pleased to welcome Skills/Compétences Canada to the partnership supporting the fourth annual Let’s Talk Careers: Canada’s Most Informed School and Student Competition with ChatterHigh. The competition is an exciting Canada-wide competition to inspire career discovery, including $50,000 in cash prizes! The competition will run in two rounds - first from October 26 to December 4, 2020, and the second from April 12 to May 26, 2021. Students in Grades 6 to 12 from across Canada will answer daily quizzes to earn points towards their personal leaderboards and their school totals in order to win prizes and bursaries. These short daily quizzes engage students in exploring thousands of diverse career and post-secondary pathway options that they may not have been otherwise exposed to.

“It’s critical that Canadian youth remain curious, keep asking questions and explore diverse options for their futures. New careers emerge every day, many of which need STEM skills, including those in the skilled trades. Let’s Talk Science is committed to helping youth keep their options open and this competition offers an impactful way for them to explore diverse pathways.” says Dr. Bonnie Schmidt, President and Founder of Let’s Talk Science.

Early career awareness informs and shapes student attitudes and decisions about high school and post-secondary pathways. Skills/Compétences Canada will bring added focus on careers in skilled trades to this year’s competition.

According to Employment and Social Development Canada, the demand for skilled tradespeople is expected to remain strong as our economy moves towards recovery after the COVID-19 pandemic. Between 2019 and 2028, about 700,000 skilled trade workers are also expected to retire. Meeting these demands will require the recruitment and training of thousands of additional skilled workers. Increasingly, these jobs will also demand STEM skills and knowledge.

“Careers in the skilled trades and technologies continue to be in high demand across Canada, and they provide excellent career pathways for youth. The Let’s Talk Careers Competitions are a great way to engage and inform tomorrow’s workforce on these careers while creating awareness of these incredible opportunities”, said Shaun Thorson, CEO of Skills/Compétences Canada.

The ChatterHigh platform offers students a fun, gamified, learning experience to research and explore a vast array of post-secondary pathways and careers options, including many opportunities in the skilled trades and technologies. Research shows that students are far more likely to pursue a career that they have had exposure to, or knowledge of, prior to making post-secondary decisions.

“When students discover pathways that excite them, and learn what it takes to travel down that path, they begin to foster hope. Hope is a known positive predictor of student engagement and achievement. This competition, and the partnerships with Skills/Compétences Canada and Let’s Talk Science, will help students become much more aware of the possibilities that await them for life after high school.” Lee Taal, CEO of ChatterHigh.

Learn more about the Let’s Talk Careers Competition.