- Students must be enrolled in a subject/program of study related to the contest or have completed a senior level course in that subject.
- Must be from an educational institution rather than a business.
- Students may only compete in one contest.
- Post-Secondary: Students can not be a certified journeyperson in the trade they are competing in. If certified in another trade, must acknowledge during registration for review to compete.
- Competitors must be no older than 29 years of age in the year of the competition (2025). They cannot turn 30 in the year 2025.
- International students may now compete at all levels of the Skills Ontario Competition (SOC) and Qualifying Competition, including Elementary, Secondary and Post-Secondary. Competitors must have international student status on the date(s) of their contest, or If a competitor’s study permit expires prior to their contest date(s), the competitor must ensure that they have legal standing in place by their contest start date to stay in Canada to participate at SOC. This includes following all other eligibility rules.
College competitors in the Skills Ontario Competition must meet the following criteria and may be asked to provide proof of any points listed below:
- International students may now compete at all levels of the Skills Ontario Competition and Qualifying Competition, including Elementary, Secondary and Post-Secondary.
- Be enrolled in a community college or private or vocational school or training institution, which is affiliated with Skills Ontario - OR - Be a registered apprentice with the MCU or a Journeyperson candidate in the field that they are competing. Once a Journeyperson candidate reaches that class, they are only eligible for one year.
- Be enrolled in a post-secondary program of study directly related to the contest in which they will compete, within the current school year (September 2024 – June 2025).
- Be registered as a competitor with Skills Ontario.
- The competitor cannot be a certified journey-person. Journeyperson candidates who have NOT passed their qualification exam are eligible to compete.
- Competitors must be no older than 29 years of age in the year of the competition (2025). They cannot turn 30 in the year 2025. Proof of age must be available upon request. Birthdates will be entered during student registration.
- All competitors must be able to show either current apprenticeship or Journeyperson candidate status and/or proof of age upon request of the Technical Committee Chairperson.
Additional details regarding competitor eligibility, rules and regulations can be found on the Skills Ontario Competition website.