Mark Callaghan’s Welcome

Dear WorldSkills Supporter,

It is now less than a month before the start of the 2010 WorldSkills Australia National Competition in Brisbane and activity is fever pitched in the National Office and on the ground in Brisbane as we prepare for the 'Ultimate Skills Showdown'. At a regional level too, final preparations are being made and most importantly, competitors are working with trainers, employers and mentors to sharpen their skills and refine their competition techniques - all in pursuit of the title of ‘best in Australia’ in their respective skill categories.

While the majority of competitors are focused on Thursday the 7th of May (being the first day of competition for the 2010 National Competition),  for 18 competitors (12 in Refrigeration and 6 in Floristry) competition will start much sooner -11 April (Refrigeration) and 12 April (Floristry). The 2010 Refrigeration National Competition will be held as part of the ARBS Exhibition at Darling Harbour, Sydney while the 2010 Floristry National Competition will be held as part of the Royal Easter Show in Sydney. Both competitions will provide the perfect stage for these 18 competitors to display their skills in front of an audience of their peers and the general public.

We all wish them well and look forward to acknowledging their efforts in Brisbane in May - along with all other competitors, as we celebrate their individual success as well as the success stories of the Australian VET system.

Finally, the 2010 WorldSkills Australia National Competition in Brisbane will offer a unique opportunity to all visitors to consider a trade or skills based career - by being able to witness 50 trades and skills being showcased through the competition process, gain hands-on experience via the WorldSkills Australia Try’aTrade and speak to experts from a variety of backgrounds, both at the competition and at the National Careers & Employment Expo. I hope to see you all in Brisbane on the 7th, 8th and 9th of May.

Tune into Morning Breakfast Show, Sunrise on Channel 7 tomorrow morning (8 April) to witness the Irwin Ultimate Tradesman Challenge Launch in Conjunction with WorldSkills Australia,
from 6:00am- 9:00am.

Or if you are in the Melbourne area and are able to come support our young skilled tradespeople come down to the Waterfront City, Docklands, Melbourne, Victoria tomorrow!

The launch and challenge will be broadcast live via the weather segments on Sunrise.

Support our skilled elite!

Thursday 18 March marked 50 days until more than 500 of Australia's highly skilled apprentices from around the country will demonstrate their talents at the nation's largest showcase of skills and trade excellence in Brisbane.

The Hon. Geoff Wilson MP, Queensland Minister for Education and Training officially launched the ‘50 Days to Go' countdown to the WorldSkills Australia National Competition Brisbane, 2010.

WorldSkills Australia took over Brisbane's Queen Street Mall where the public joined the Minister in trying their hand at a new trade career with WorldSkills Australia's fun interactive program, Try'aTrade.

Try'aTrade activities included Beauty Therapy, Sheetmetal Technology, Bricklaying and Hospitality with the 2009 Team Australia Skillaroos Jessie-Lee Gladwell (Gold Medal, Beauty Therapy), Andrew Arthur (Silver Medal, Manufacturing Team Challenge) and Daniel Karanges (Bronze Medal, Sheetmetal Technology) on hand to show the public why they are the best trades and skillspeople in Australia.

WorldSkills Australia CEO, Mark Callaghan, said the 50 day milestone was an important reminder for competitors to fine-tune their skills in the lead up to the event.

Read more about the 50 Days To Go launch.

St Peters Lutheran College perform the Drumline,
The Hon. Geoff Wilson MP, Queensland Minister for Education and
Training officially launches 50 Days To Go

Preparation in brief

Preparations are in full swing for the WorldSkills Australia National Competition to be held at the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre from the 7-9 May 2010 each day from 9.00am- 4.00pm.
A great buzz has filled the Head Office with adrenaline kicking in and excitement rousing. The final countdown has commenced!

At the WorldSkills Australia National Competition, one can watch over 500 of Australia’s best young skill and trades people battle it out in up to 50 trade and skill categories and even have a go yourself at WorldSkills Australia Try’aTrade - the interactive program that lets you get a taste of various trades and skills. There are 30 trades you can get your hands on- from hairdressing, retail baking, cabinet making, IT software, electrical control, garment production and loads more.

The competition will be held in conjunction with the 2010 National Careers and Employment Expo making the WorldSkills Australia National Competition Brisbane 2010 the biggest skills and careers expo in the southern hemisphere.

If eligible, medalists may advance to the 41st WorldSkills International Competition in London in 2011.

2010 WorldSkills Australia National Competition - Satellite Competitions

WorldSkills Australia National Competition Brisbane 2010 will see two satellite competitions, Refrigeration and Floristry. The Refrigeration Competition will be held amongst industry members, employers and enthusiasts at the ARBS Exhibition.

Follow the WorldSkills Australia National Competition Brisbane 2010 on Facebook and Twitter

WorldSkills Australia will be providing up to the minute updates including news and photos via Facebook and Twitter. Be in the loop and on top of the news - join today.

WSA are going green

WorldSkills Australia and the Dusseldorp Skills Forum will again
partner to deliver Green Team 2010 and liaise with Project Designers
and Category Convenors to introduce real, relevant and financially
viable sustainable initiatives to the WorldSkills Competition process,
while also calculating the “ecological footprint” of the WorldSkills
Australia National Competition.

In an effort to address challenges around environmental sustainability WorldSkills Australia and Dusseldorp Skills Forum (DSF) are working together to make the WorldSkills Australia National Competition Brisbane 2010 as environmentally friendly as possible.

2010 marks the 60th Anniversary of WorldSkills International (1950 - 2010). The conclusion of the anniversary will take place in October in Kingston, Jamaica where all Members will come together for the Annual General Assembly. The Assembly will be followed by an official anniversary gala event on October 9th also in Jamaica.

Bricklaying Competitor, WorldSkills Australia National Competition Brisbane 2010

What is your family history in relation to bricklaying?
My Dad has been bricklaying for 33 years. My uncle and his son are bricklayers.
My two brothers are also bricklayers.

Why did you decide to take up bricklaying?
When I was younger - about 10 years of age. I used to go to work with my dad in the school holidays and loved it. From there I decided I wanted to be a bricklayer. As soon as I finished year 10 at school I went to work for my dad.

What is it like working so closely with your dad and brothers?
The relationship between my dad, brothers and myself is strong. We work well as a team and are always supporting each other in the workplace.

Who was the first person in your family to get involved with WorldSkills? When? Why?
Myself and my two brothers Luke and Matt all were involved in the Regional Competition last year. We all got nominated by our TAFE/Polytechnic teacher Paul McKay because we were all high achievers through our bricklayer course.

How did competing in WSA competitions benefit you and your brothers?
Competing in WSA made us more aware of bricklaying techniques and how far bricklaying has come since my dad first started bricklaying. Knowing we are one of the best team of bricklayers in Tasmania made us feel great and made us more competitive at work.

Who else in your family has participated in a WSA competition?
My 2 brothers at Regional level.

Why did you decide to enter the WSA Regional Competition?
I thought it would be a great experience to show how much knowledge I have about the trade and to see how far I can go in the competition and I like a good challenge.

How did it feel when you found out you were going to compete at the
WorldSkills Australia National Competition in Brisbane?
Really excited and happy to be representing Team Tasmania in the competition.

What does it feel like knowing you will be going head- to- head with Australia’s best
bricklayers and if successful the world’s best?
Really excited and a bit nervous. But can’t wait!

What are you doing in terms of training for the Nationals?
I am going to be spending as much time as I can going to Polytechnics and training at these campuses and getting help from my Dad.

You recently took part in the Tasmanian WSA training camp,
what did you learn from that experience?
Meeting new people that are going through the same thing and also hearing from someone who has been in the WSA competition and knowing what it will be like in Brisbane.

What is the best tip you have received from either your dad or brothers
in relation to the WSA competitions?
Do your best and no one can ask for more than that.

Would you recommend competing in WSA to other apprentices? Why?
Yes I would. It’s a great experience and you learn lots from it.

Ben is from the Tasmania region and will competing for Gold in the WorldSkills Australia National Competition Brisbane from May 7-9 2010.

The National Careers & Employment Expo is Australia’s largest and most popular career event. It provides opportunities to engage with leading employers such as Defence Force Recruiting, Qantas and ALDI to name a few: key government organisations and educators.

This year the National Careers & Employment Expo in Brisbane is being held in conjunction with the WorldSkills Australia National Competition. This combined event is expected to attract in excess of 70,000 people over three days 7-9 May at the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre.

Read more about the National Careers & Employment Expo.

A.P. Eagers Limited has its origins in the formation of E.G. Eager & Son Pty Ltd, a family automotive company established in Brisbane in 1913 by Edward Eager and his son Frederick.

After establishing the State's first motor car assembly plant, Eagers became the distributor of General Motor's products in Queensland and Northern New South Wales and listed as a public company in April 1957.

A merger in November 1992 with A.P. Group Ltd which owned a number of new vehicle franchises, saw the name change to A.P. Eagers Limited. Since that time further motor vehicle franchises have been added and growth has continued.

A.P. Eagers Limited is a pure automotive retail group with its main operations in South East Queensland, Darwin in the Northern Territory, the northern beaches of Sydney and the Newcastle/ Hunter Valley region of New South Wales.  At July 2009 the Group employed 2,100 people, had 3,800 shareholders and sales revenue running at $1.6 billion per annum.

This newsletter is about the WorldSkills community, so we want news from the WorldSkills Australia community. If you would like to spread your news across Australia contact: Sarah Tulloch (stulloch@worldskills.org.au) at the National Office.