The following statement was read in the House of Assembly today by the Honourable, Craig Pardy, Minister Responsible for the Office of the Chief Information Officer:

Speaker, I rise today to recognize several employees with the Office of the Chief Information Officer who have represented Newfoundland and Labrador at national and international skills competitions.

Last month, Alex Edwards attended the WorldSkills Competition in China as a Team Canada trainer. Alex previously represented Canada at WorldSkills in 2024 and earned gold at the 2023 Skills Canada National Competition.

College of the North Atlantic work-term student Nathan Cooney earned bronze in cloud computing at the Skills Canada National Competition, alongside 500 participants from across Canada.

Speaker, these achievements build on a proud history at OCIO. Robert Swain earned national bronze in 2023, John Budgen earned national bronze in 2021, and Anthony Leonard earned national gold in 2018 and silver in 2017. Brian Forward earned national gold in both 2012 and 2013, while Shawn Edwards earned national gold in 2007. All competed as College of the North Atlantic students and are now members of the OCIO team.

The strong relationship between OCIO and the College of the North Atlantic helps students gain valuable experience and build rewarding careers in Newfoundland and Labrador.

Speaker, I ask all Honourable Members to join me in congratulating them on their tremendous achievements.