Fanshawe builds on reputation with strong results at Skills Canada

Two students – one representing Fanshawe’s School of Information Technology and the other representing the Donald J. Smith School of Building Technology and Design – won medals at the 2026 Skills Canada Competition, held May 27 to 30 at the Enercare Centre in Toronto. 

Kayla Dean, a second-year student in the Game Design program (mentored by Sergii Andreichenko and Jeff Champ), won silver in the 3D Digital Game Art competition. 

Ethan Arand (mentored by Scott Culliton), who completed his intermediate level training in the General Carpenter Apprenticeship program in December and currently works for Ironwood Construction, won bronze in the Carpentry competition. 

Kayla and Ethan weren’t the only Fanshawe representatives to be recognized at the competition. Scott Culliton, coordinator of the General Carpenter Apprenticeship program, received a 10-year service recognition while Joel Foster, coordinator of the Architectural Technology program, was recognized with the John Oates Memorial Award for his significant contributions to advancing skilled trades in Canada. 

“We are incredibly proud of our students for their outstanding performances at Skills Canada,” says Stephen Patterson, dean of the Faculty of Science, Trades, Technology and Design. “Their success is a reflection of the hard work and dedication they have invested in developing their skills, as well as the guidance and mentorship provided by our exceptional faculty coaches.” 

3D Digital Game Art

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The 3D Digital Game Art competition challenged participants to create game-ready 3D artwork—from modeling and texturing to animation and building a final scene—with a main focus on the artistic approach and clean technical implementation.  

Sergii Andreichenko, professor in the Video Game Design program, says success depended on strong technical and artistic skills, careful planning and effective time management. 

“Kayla demonstrated excellent focus, strong planning, and consistent performance throughout both days of the competition,” he says. “The level of competition was very high and she finished only 0.6 per cent away from gold, which shows how strong her final result was.” 

Carpentry

The Carpentry competition challenged competitors to build a playhouse-sized structure with a complex roofline and a front porch with railings.  

Scott Culliton says Ethan’s work ethic and dedication to quality as well as his knowledge of the National Building Code and ability to interpret construction drawings showcased why he is one of the top three apprentices in the country. 

“(Ethan’s) composure, craftsmanship, professionalism and hard work earned him his podium position as he represented our province and Fanshawe College with pride,” he says. “Ethan embodied and displayed the very qualities that we aim to build with our apprentices at Fanshawe.” 

We asked Kayla about her experience. Here’s what she shared:  

“My experience at Skills Canada was really amazing. It was a great opportunity to meet lots of new people and feel team spirit as part of Team Ontario. As someone who has never left Ontario, it was very cool getting to meet people from other provinces, and hearing about their experiences. During the competition, I got to showcase my skills to spectators as they walked by my station. I also got to bond with my talented fellow competitors, as we would chat about our different experiences during our breaks. In the end I feel very honoured to have won silver, for myself, for Fanshawe, and for Ontario.”