Top employers, government officials and post-secondary individuals celebrate a first-of-its-kind competition in Canada recognizing the need for skilled workers and apprentices in British Columbia's STEM industries

VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA--(Marketwired - Jan 23, 2017) - Following six weeks of submissions and subsequent judging, the inaugural STEM Spotlight Awards will come to an end on Thursday, January 26th, 2017. The awards will take place at Waterview Vancouver from 11 AM - 2 PM. Hosted by Canadian Journalist and Global National Anchor Robin Gill the awards will highlight and celebrate five finalist submissions and announce the winning entry that will be awarded a $20,000 cash prize.

Representatives from Babcock Canada, along with government officials, industry leaders and post-secondary individuals from around British Columbia will gather to celebrate the overwhelming response to the post-secondary competition.

According to Mark Dixon, President of Babcock Canada, "The number of submission and sheer caliber of solutions far exceeded our expectations. From individuals to teams, we were presented with thought provoking concepts that took into consideration training, the direction of the sector and impact on skilled trades and innovation."

The gala provides an opportunity for students and category finalists to connect with leading employers across the province including: BC Ferries, Structurlam, Unbounce, SNC-Lavalin, and Peace River Hydro Partners. Government officials will join additional supporters from BC Safety Authority, Industry Training Authority and The Applied Science Technologists and Technicians of BC. Representatives from BC's colleges and polytechnic institutions will also be in attendance to further honour the students and teams who presented submissions.

"Tech careers are exploding in B.C. and it's important to inspire youth to pursue these up-and-coming opportunities through an interest in science, technology, engineering and math," said Amrik Virk, Minister of Technology, Innovation and Citizens' Services. "Our government is helping grow talent through our #BCTECH Strategy by re-engineering education from kindergarten through to post-secondary, to ensure students are getting the knowledge, work experience and exposure to work in tech."

Launched in October, 2016 the STEM Spotlight Awards is a competition that challenged post-secondary students to solve a specific obstacle related to the transportation, infrastructure, energy, sustainability and technology sectors in British Columbia. One winner from each of the five categories (Technology, Transportation, Energy, Sustainability, and Infrastructure) will be awarded a prize of $1,000, as selected by the industry representatives from each category. The grand prize winner, selected by an independent panel of judges, will then be announced and awarded $20,000. Judging was based on criteria specific to each sector and overall ability to exhibit innovative, creativite and original solutions.

More details regarding the STEM Spotlight Awards and B.C.'s STEM sector can be found online at www.stemspotlightawards.ca.

About Babcock International Group and Babcock Canada Inc.

Babcock International Group is the UK's leading engineering support services company, delivering complex and critical asset support both in the UK and overseas. With revenue of circa $9 billion CAD in 2015 and an order book of circa $38 billion CAD, Babcock International Group manages vital assets within a number of industry sectors including energy, defence, emergency services, transport, telecommunications and education.

Babcock Canada Inc. provides critical and complex support to strategically important assets, infrastructure and training programs primarily in the Canadian defense, security, marine, and construction sectors. Operating from locations in Halifax, Ottawa and Victoria, Babcock Canada Inc. has more than 300 expert personnel providing systems engineering, material and supply chain management and project management solutions.

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