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 Mark Callaghan’s Welcome
Dear WorldSkills Supporter,
On Tuesday (3 May) I had the opportunity to attend the launch of the Skills Australia report, Skills for prosperity: a road map for vocational education and training. The report is a comprehensive review of the national VET sector and proposes extensive reforms that it says are required for the VET sector to be able to deliver the skilled workforce that will help secure Australia’s future social and economic prosperity. WSA believes that parallel to all of these reforms must be the continued promotion of the opportunities available via a VET pathway. We need to be able to attract and retain the over 5 million skilled workers by 2025 that the report cites as being required if demand for skilled labour is to be met and potential constraints on economic growth avoided.
The recent report, A shared responsibility: Apprenticeships for the 21st Century put forward the recommendation that more needs to be done to raise the status of apprenticeships and traineeships.
As I said in the last Skill News, it is hoped that existing programs such as those delivered by WSA remain front and centre in promoting the opportunities available in VET as viable first-choice training and career options thereby helping to attract and retain the skilled workers we as a nation will need now and in the future.
During his address at the launch, Senator the Hon. Chris Evans, Minister for Tertiary Education, Skills, Jobs and Workplace Relations, noted that the Skills Australia report together with the report by the Expert Panel provide the foundations for the reform of the VET system. WSA looks forward to these foundations being built upon to ensure the VET sector will be central to the realisation of the Skills Australia report’s vision and we look forward to WSA programs playing a role by continuing to increase the awareness, profile and status of VET. |
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Regional competitions are now underway across Australia, marking the first stage of the WorldSkills Competition cycle. Some 29 regions across Australia will be hosting the one to two day events which consist of trade specific projects being completed in a set time frame.
The Regional competitions, held every two years, provide competitors with an opportunity to represent their local community and gain experience in their respective trade or skill. Competing in such events can assist young Australians to maximise; their employment, lifestyle, training and higher education options. As well as present them with the possibility of advancing to the National Competition.
Regional competitions are an ideal way to measure the standards of skills across Australia and to view the status of vocational education and training in specific areas.
Download and complete the registration form or contact your regional coordinator as found on the WorldSkills Australia website.
If you are still at school you can also compete in the WorldSkills Australia Regional VETiS Competitions. WSA holds competitions around the country for school students who study a VET (Vocational Education and Training) subject. You can enter if you are a school student studying the first year of a vocatioanal course, which is aligned to the relevant national training package. Talk to your VET teacher or Careers Adviser at school to pick up an entry form or visit www.worldskills.org.au for more information. Competition categories include automotive services, business administration, commercial cookery, metals and engineering, retail and electrotechnology just to name a few. |
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 Competitors from all around the world will be travelling to Australia for the Global Skills Challenge being held at TAFE NSW Illawarra Institute – Wollongong Campus, between July 5 and 8, 2011
The four day event will replicate, as closely as possible, the conditions which will be experienced by Team Australia at the 41st WorldSkills International Competition, being held in London this year.
This challenge will provide the Skillaroo’s with an opportunity to gauge how their training is tracking compared to their international equivalents, as well as giving them a chance to compete in front of crowds.
Countries attending the event include; New Zealand, United Kingdom, France, USA, Jamaica, Singapore, Japan, Canada, Macau and Netherlands.
Global Skills Challenge is open to the public and we encourage you to attend the event, not only to cheer on the Skillaroos but to meet some of the international competitors and see for yourself just how talented these young people are.
For any additional information regarding the Global Skills Challenge, please contact the following personnel in the WSA National Office on (03) 9249 1000.
Michelle Hardy - general enquiries
Josie D’Arino - specific government, sponsor or media enquiries
Visit the Global Skills Challenge page on the WorldSkills Australia website. |
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Landscape constructors and members of the Australian WorldSkills team, Richard May and Thomas Ramsey, successfully completed a four day training exercise at the 2011 Sydney Royal Easter Show.
The task required the two to recreate the Japanese garden and water feature, used as the landscape challenge at the 2007 World Skills International Competition, held in Japan.
Constructed under the guidance of Ben Meade (Landscape Construction - International Expert) and Kris Cadogan (Northern Sydney Institute), the garden provided invaluable preparation for the ‘Skillaroos’ to take with them to the 2011 WorldSkills International Competition.
The Sydney Royal Easter Show being the biggest annual event in the southern hemisphere. The garden remained on display for the duration of the show, sparking a number of enquiries and overwhelming support from members of the public.
Watch the video on SkillsOne TV.
(l-r) Thomas Ramsey, Kris Cadogan, Richard May
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Having recently attended the ‘Competition Preparation Week’ meetings in London, I am pleased to inform you that preparations are progressing well, the site is looking great. There is a big team over there, all working on the goal of making the London competition the best ever.
The ExCel site is amazing, with a whopping 100,000sqm of competition space as well as housing café’s and open space for visitors. It is located in the London Docklands and can be easily reached on the Docklands Light Rail. Not that our competitors need worry about this, they will all be located within walking distance of the venue.
The 41st WorldSkills International Competition will be the biggest one ever, with over 50 countries and almost 50 skills being showcased.
I am confident that our Australian competitors will be very well looked after and will have every opportunity to compete at the highest level in the world’s biggest and most prestigious skills competition for young trainees and apprentices.
Read More.
(l-r) Boris Johnson, Mayor of London. The O2 arena - Opening and Closing Ceremony venue.
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With only five months to go until the 41st WorldSkills International Competition, training is intensifying and the ‘Skillaroos’ are on track to bring to London some of the toughest Australian competitors yet.
For the latest news coverage, more information or to see the countdown to the WorldSkills International Competition, visit the WorldSkills Australia website. You can also sign up to the WorldSkills Australia Facebook and Twitter accounts for up-to-the-minute news. |
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 Don’t miss out on your chance to be there alongside the ‘Skillaroos’ to witness the fun and fireworks of the Opening & Closing Ceremonies at the 41st WorldSkills International Competition, London 2011
Tickets for each ceremony are sold separately and are only $37 each. Purchase tickets by completing the attached booking form, also found on the WorldSkills Australia website.
Please note if you are part of the Supporters Tour these tickets are
included in your package.
WorldSkills Australia has been allocated a limited number of tickets, so if you would like to attend, make sure your tickets are purchased and paid for by 22nd July 2011.
- Opening Ceremony: Tuesday 4th October 2011
- Closing Ceremony: Sunday 9th October 2011
Purchase tickets. |
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Tamika Mackrell- (Floristry) and Nick Sharp- (Graphic Design Technology) haveboth received a visit from their local MP Darren Chester this month, congratulating them for being selected to represent Australia, in London at the 2011 WorldSkills International competition.
Tamika showed Mr. Chester her recent Apprentice of the Year award and Nick took the MP on a tour of the James Yeates Printing and Design office, where the 20-year-old has been a graphic designer for three years.
“It is great to see talented young people from Gippsland being recognized and having the opportunity to represent the region on a world stage” said Mr.Chester of the two ‘Skillaroos’.
Read the article on Tamika Mackrell or Nick Sharpe. |
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Did you know that Natalee first gained an interest in becoming a jeweler whilst completing a work placement in high school? How about, what made Gustavo first decide to pick up a paint brush?
You can learn all this information and more through the WorldSkills Australia website, which has recently been updated with the full profiles of the 28 Skillaroos heading to London this year.
Visit the 2011 Skillaroos section of the website to view individual profiles, see pictures of the competitors and find out how they got into their trades. You can also have a read about who their expert trainers are.
View the 2011 Team Australia Skillaroo profiles.
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WorldSkills Australia is pleased to advise that Ai Group will be sponsoring the Welcome Dinner for the Global Skills Challenge to be held at Illawarra TAFE, Wollongong July 2011.
The Australian Industry Group (Ai Group) is a peak industry association in Australia which along with its affiliates represents the interests of more than 60,000 businesses in an expanding range of sectors including: manufacturing; engineering; construction; automotive; food; transport; information technology; telecommunications; call centres; labour hire; printing; defence; mining equipment and supplies; airlines; and other industries. The businesses which they represent employ more than 1 million employees.
Ai Group is an organisation committed to helping Australian industry with a focus on building competitive and sustainable industries through global integration, skills development, productive and flexible workplace relations, infrastructure development and innovation.
Read more. |
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