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Sydney to host WorldSkills Australia National Competition 2008 Dear , Sydney is set to host Australia’s biggest and most prestigious skills competition - the WorldSkills Australia National Competition in July of this year - 20 years after hosting the 29th WorldSkills International Competition at the Sydney Convention and Exhibition Centre. From the 18th to 21st of February 1988, the best young trade and skill technicians from around the world converged on Sydney to compete for the title ‘best in the world’. Tjerk Dusseldorp, founder of WorldSkills Australia and President of WorldSkills International said today that, "Because 1988 was Australia's Bicentennial we managed to get the funding to host the Skill Olympics in Sydney, its first appearance in the Southern Hemisphere. Of course it was a tremendous occasion to reveal the range and depth of skills that exist in Australia thanks to TAFE, but we never imagined that it would attract over 140,000 visitors. The success of that amazing event motivated the growth and development of the nation wide WorldSkills movement which has now seen over 60,000 young skilled people take the opportunity to benchmark their skills with the best in the world." Just as the 29th WorldSkills International competition was a showcase of skills excellence, the WorldSkills Australia National Competition Sydney 2008 will see Australia’s next generation of highly skilled trainees and apprentices battle it out for gold. WorldSkills Australia CEO, Mark Callaghan says that “20 years ago, Australia was very much the new kids on the block having only recently joined the International WorldSkills movement. Now we are currently ranked 5th in the world and the best performed English speaking nation. The results we are achieving today are as a result of the hard work, dedication and commitment shown by the competitors, judges, experts and the countless volunteers who were involved, not only in 1988 but since WorldSkills Australia’s (formerly WorkSkills Australia) inception in 1981. Mark Callaghan, CEO of WorldSkills Australia believes that “WorldSkills Australia plays a significant role in promoting and raising the status of skills as a first choice career option. “We believe it is important to encourage all young Australians to value apprenticeships as much as gaining a university education and increase the number of fully qualified and trained Australians in the workplace.” The WorldSkills National Competition, Sydney 2008 will be held at the Sydney Convention and Exhibition Centre at Darling Harbour on 11-13 July. WorldSkills Australia (WSA) is a not-for-profit organisation operating for 26 years. WSA highlights young Australian's skills excellence through trade competitions. These are unique opportunities to showcase the talents of apprentices, trainees and VET students of Australia on Regional, National and International levels.
For further information contact Josie D’Arino, |
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