In November 2002, Skills Canada Yukon opened the doors to a new age of extracurricular skilled trades and technology exploration for Yukon youth...the Skills Centre.

The Skills Centre - the first initiative of its kind in Canada - is an innovative community project that provides Yukon youth with an unparalleled opportunity for learning about skilled trades and technology. Youth who participate in the programs at the Yukon Skills Centre have access to a facility, volunteer mentors and industry-standard equipment.

Only four months old, the Skills Centre has already proven to be a much-needed facility and hub for extracurricular skill-based learning for many youth in the Yukon. Participants in Skills Canada's wide range of extracurricular activities fill the centre every afternoon and evening of the week, and weekends too.

Programs offered to youth at the Skills Centre provide a fun, challenging, experiential learning opportunity in trades and technology. The programs have been developed almost exclusively by community volunteers, many of whom are professionals in their field, and who donate their time and expertise to youth who want to learn.

The Skills Centre is also available the community groups for skill-based projects that accommodate a range of groups from youth-at-risk to exceptional students.

The Yukon Skills Centre was developed to accommodate the wide range of interest that was present in Whitehorse for the exploration of some of the career areas that are promoted by Skills Canada Yukon.

Approximately four years ago, it became apparent that for Yukon secondary students to compete nationally, in both the Canadian Skills Competition and the workforce, they would require extracurricular instruction in those areas. Volunteer mentors from both industry and the education system formed skills clubs after school. As the popularity of these clubs increased and the volunteer base developed, it became apparent that they needed their own facility that offered the flexibility necessary to accommodate innovative mentorship opportunities in the skilled trades and technologies.

The Skills Centre is a 4500 sq.ft. facility located in the Industrial Area of Whitehorse. At present, the Skills Centre facilitates youth programs in the following areas:

• Carpentry
• Electrical wiring
• Fashion design
• Robotics
• Graphic design
• Computer animation
• Audio technology
• Computer technology (networking and repair)
• TV video production
• Web site design

We also offer worksite safety courses, and are developing other workshops such as employability skills workshops for youth, and a trade and technology career seminar for youth and parents.