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November 26, 2007
Former Earl Marriott secondary school student Joel Kitching has won the silver medal in web design at the WorldSkills Competition in Tokyo, Japan.
The achievement caps impressive competition successes for Kitching, who graduated in June 2007. In Grade 10, he entered his first regional skills competition and won gold before going on to win silver at the provincial level. In Grade 11, he won gold at all three levels – regional, provincial and national. It was the gold at the nationals in 2006 that secured his place in this year’s international competition.
Joel Kitching’s interest in the Internet began when he was just eight years old. Now the 18-year-old is one of the top young web designers in the world.
“I believe I speak for everyone in the district and at Earl Marriott in saying we’re proud of Joel and what he’s accomplished, and I also congratulate staff who have worked to support and encourage Joel along the way,” says Surrey Board of Education chairman Shawn Wilson. “Our district has a great track record of success in student trades development and competitions and Joel has certainly reached new heights.”
The 2007 WorldSkills Competition lasted four days, concluding November 21. The theme for the web design project was to create a database-driven site that would allow WorldSkills alumni to keep in touch with each other once the competition was over. The winning sites are to be posted on the WorldSkills website, www.worldskills.org.
Earls Marriott’s career facilitator Paul Bruce, who has been supporting Kitching, says the young entrepreneur has the right skills and attitude.
“Joel has real natural talent. With web design you can specialize in various areas, but Joel has both a good eye for design and a strong talent in coding,” says Bruce. “He has been very dedicated to learning and teaching himself new skills. It is his self-determination that has allowed him to excel.”
Joel is currently in his first year at UBC studying Computer Science and is offering his services professionally through his website at jkweb.ca.
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Last Updated: November 26, 2007 |
