Every year, Skills Ontario presents the Glenn Beatty Award to a volunteer or volunteers who exhibit outstanding dedication and passion for Skills Ontario’s mission. The recipient of the 2021 Glenn Beatty Award Recipient is Elizabeth (Liz) Stacey.

Liz is an academic professor at the School of Applied Computer Science and Information Technology at Conestoga College, where she teaches. She has also been involved as a volunteer with Skills Ontario since 2008, and is the provincial Tech Chair for both IT Office and Coding, and the national Tech Chair for IT Office. Liz created the IT Office contest provincially in 2008, and she also became the national Tech Chair for this contest the same year. She represented Canada as National and Provincial Tech Chair at World Skills in 2015 for IT Office. 

During the initial stages of lockdown, Skills Ontario asked all Tech Chairs if they would offer their contests in a virtual format. Liz Stacey was one of the Tech Chairs who agreed to help, and thanks to her passion and determination, Coding and IT Office were among the contests we were able to run virtually. Not only did Liz move ahead and adapt the contests to be accessible to secondary students, but she also increased her registration numbers significantly to allow greater opportunity for students.

Glenn Beatty was a participant in the CAD, CAM, CNC contests and a Gold medal winner in the 1997 Skills Ontario Competition. After that, he moved on to the National Competition in Alberta, where he won yet another Gold medal. His consecutive wins made him the perfect candidate for a job in his field and he was quickly snatched up by ATS Automation Tooling Systems in Cambridge, Ontario. Always grateful for the kickstart to his career, Glenn returned to Skills Ontario in 1998, only this time, he did so as a volunteer. Tragically, in early 1999, Glenn lost his life in motor vehicle accident. Those who knew him mourned the loss of a kind young man with limitless potential.

As a tribute, each year, Skills Ontario presents the Glenn Beatty Award to a volunteer or volunteers who embody the same dedication and passion for Skills Ontario as Glenn did. Skills Ontario remembers and honours Glenn Beatty, and thanks Liz for being a passionate volunteer who continuously provides learning opportunities to Ontario’s youth. On behalf of Skills Ontario, thank you and congratulations!

About

Skills Ontario has been growing a portfolio of programs to inspire and engage youth since 1989, including presentations, career exploration events, competitions, summer camps, and Young Women’s and First Nations, Métis, and Inuit workshops and conferences. To see how you can partner with Skills Ontario and help make a difference in the lives of Ontario youth, visit skillsontario.com/get-involved.