The pressure was on, the stakes were high, and nearly 400 of Newfoundland and Labrador’s most talented secondary and post-secondary students rose to the challenge at this year’s Skills Canada-Newfoundland and Labrador provincial competitions.
Across 40 grueling competitions, students battled for top honours, proving their expertise in fields ranging from trades and technology to creative arts and innovation.
“Over the years, our Annual Skilled Career Day has provided countless young people in our province with the opportunity to showcase their unique skill sets and to learn more about the diverse career options in the skilled trades and technologies,” said Gavin Toole, Chair of Skills Canada Newfoundland and Labrador Board of Directors. “We take great pride in the success of this event and anticipate it every year. We are so thrilled with our 2025 Team Newfoundland and Labrador, and we look forward to seeing them put their skills to the test at Nationals in Regina this May!”
Once again, College of the North Atlantic (CNA) students racked up an impressive medal count and secured their places on Team Newfoundland and Labrador for the upcoming Skills Canada National Competition in Regina, Saskatchewan this May.
CNA President and CEO Elizabeth Winney said the college’s students exemplified skill, determination, and excellence.
“I could not be more proud of everyone who challenged themselves at this year’s competitions,” she said. “Skills Canada is more than just a competition - it’s a launching pad for the next generation of skilled professionals, and our students have once again shown they are ready to take on the world.”
Accounting student Riley Lockyer clinched gold for CNA at CBDC’s
The Pitch competition, proving his skills in high-stakes business strategy and thriving under the challenge.
“Getting a topic and only having a couple hours to come up with an idea, find out if that idea is feasible, and presenting it as a slideshow puts you under serious time pressure,” he explained. “I feel as I will be more prepared in my future with time management and thinking on the spot.”
Lockyer plans to complete his accounting program at CNA and then transfer to Memorial University of Newfoundland’s Grenfell Campus to pursue a business degree.
“I hope to stay in this field for the future,” he said.
Competing in Skills Canada competitions at any level is often a rollercoaster of emotions and perseverance, something CNA student Robert Swain knows well.
After falling short of his own expectations last year, Swain had something to prove for this third and final time competing. This year, he did just that: securing gold in the IT Network Systems Administration competition and earning his spot back on Team Newfoundland and Labrador for the Skills Canada National Competition.
“This year I'm doing much better, so I decided to grind so I could prove to myself that I've still got it,” he said. “Winning gold and returning to Team NL feels like a return to form. It's been almost two years now of itching to get back to nationals to prove to the country what I can do. This year I'm more focused than ever, and more prepared than ever.”
This year’s CNA medalists include:
Gold
Logan Bowers (Prince Philip Drive) – Cloud Computing
Jacob Chevalier (Placentia) – Precision Machining
William Dominie (Port aux Basques) – Welding
Lucas Garland (Prince Philip Drive) – Baking
Noah Jackman (Prince Philip Drive) – Graphic Design (Post-Secondary)
Kiefer Kelly (Clarenville) - Carpentry
Riley Lockyer (Corner Brook) – CBDC: The Pitch (Post-Secondary)
Jesse Neary (Ridge Road) – Architectural Tech and Design
Jared Nugent (Prince Philip Drive) – Automotive Technologies
Samuel Pearce (Prince Philip Drive) – Cooking
Mackenzie Peddle (Prince Philip Drive) – Photography (Post-Secondary)
Michael Pine (Prince Philip Drive) – Autobody Repair
Robert Swain (Prince Philip Drive) – IT Network Systems (Post-Secondary)
Milton John Synching (Prince Philip Drive) – IT Office Software (Post-Secondary)
Sam Wellon (Corner Brook) – Electronics (Post-Secondary)
Andrew Westcott (Placentia) – Heavy Vehicle Technology
Silver
Nathan Barnes (Placentia) – Precision Machining
Logan Freeborn (Burin) – Welding
Trevor Hicks (Prince Philip Drive) – IT Network Systems (Post-Secondary)
Matt Legge (Gander) – Automotive Technologies
Kalan Leriche (Placentia) – Heavy Vehicle Technology
Nathan Murphy (Prince Philip Drive) – Graphic Design (Post-Secondary)
John Nsionu (Corner Brook) – Electronics (Post-Secondary)
Emmanuel Nwachukwa (Prince Philip Drive) – Photography (Post-Secondary)
Joshawa Rockwood (Ridge Road) – Architectural Tech and Design
Liam Senior and Ryan Whelan (Corner Brook) – CBDC: The Pitch (Post-Secondary)
Bronze
Noah Barry (Prince Philip Drive) – Graphic Design (Post-Secondary)
Ryan Brocklehurst (Ridge Road) – Architectural Tech and Design
Jarrod Burton (Prince Philip Drive) – IT Network Systems (Post-Secondary)
Cameron Coish (Burin) – Welding
Joshua Dier (Placentia) – Heavy Vehicle Technology
Jacob Gaulton (Ridge Road) – Electronics (Post-Secondary)
Cody Issacs (Placentia) – Precision Machining
Camilo Lopez (Prince Philip Drive) – Photography (Post-Secondary)
Logan MacRae and Shivani (Corner Brook) – CBDC: The Pitch (Post-Secondary)
Rajendra Shrestha (Happy Valley-Goose Bay) - Carpentry
The winner of this year's John Oates Memorial Volunteer of the Year Award is CNA Faculty Researcher (Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning) Richard Spencer. He serves on the Provincial and National Technical Committees for Cloud Computing as well as the Canadian Expert. Last September, Spencer traveled to Lyon, Francem for the WorldSkills International Competition as both a lead competition organizer and a coach to Canadian competitor Alex Edwards.
To watch the full awards ceremony, visit
Skills Canada – NL.
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Media Contact
Ryan Crocker
Manager of Communications
P: (709) 699-8981
E:
ryan.crocker@cna.nl.ca