Mark Callaghan’s Welcome

Dear WorldSkills Supporter,

With summer well and truly over (here in Melbourne anyway) and the thoughts of many turning to hibernating in order to survive the coming cold months, all associated with WorldSkills Australia are doing anything but ‘hibernating’. May is going to be a particularly active month for WorldSkills Australia from Regional Competitions right through to the continued preparations for the 40th WorldSkills Competition in Calgary, Canada.

The first of the regional competitions for 2009 have been held in early April in the Spencer Gulf region. Congratulations to all who took up the challenge of competition and congratulations in particular to those who were successful. We hope that this will be the start of an incredible journey for you all. Other Regional Committees are working tirelessly to coordinate and run competitions throughout Australia and as soon as details of these competitions are available they will be posted on the WorldSkills Australia website.

On the 8th and 9th of May, the Brisbane region will be holding the first of their Regional competitions in conjunction with a major Try’aTrade event at the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre. I urge all of you in the Brisbane area to attend the event and witness the regions best apprentices and trainees battle it out to be crowned the best in Brisbane and earn the right to progress to the 2010 National Competition. At the same time you will have the opportunity to watch several of the 2009 Team Australia Skillaroos who will be on hand to assist with judging the competitions as well as using the time to train for Calgary.

Speaking of the Skillaroos, with just under 4 months to go until Calgary all competitors and experts are stepping up their workload as they continue their preparations. For 4 days from the 20th of May all of the Team Australia Skillaroos will gather in Newcastle to take part in the 2009 Simulated International Competition. This competition will provide the Skillaroos with a valuable training opportunity aimed at replicating conditions that can be expected during the competition in Calgary. There is nothing like a bit of trans-Tasman rivalry to spice up the competition and we are lucky enough to have 10 Team New Zealand competitors (the Tool Blacks) coming to Newcastle to take on the Aussies. I am sure the competition will be beneficial to all involved and will be a tremendous display of the talent that exists both here and New Zealand.

I look forward to seeing many of you out and about as I head to Brisbane and Newcastle and several other places in between.

The AOF (Australian Overseas Foundation) grants scholarships every
year to outstanding young vocationally trained Australians who have
achieved excellence in their chosen careers. These scholarships
assist recipients in travelling overseas to work and study in their
vocational field, benefiting their career development and the Australia
industry upon their return. It is designed for young achievers aged 21-27
who have completed their traineeships and apprenticeships.

Scholarships are awarded following a selection process and in 2009 applications for the
AOF Scholarships will close on the 20th of August with submissions due in to WorldSkills
Australia by the 6th of August.

Further information on the 2009 scholarships, including the Application Form, will be made available in the coming weeks. For more information on the AOF please visit the AOF website on www.aof.org.au

BBM Awards have enabled hundreds of talented young Australians to visit Britain to gain further experience in their chosen pursuits. BBM aims to provide career and skills support to the youth of Australia. The awards have become a highly respected and beneficial international pathway from WorldSkills Australia's National Competitions.

BBM recipients from the WSA National Competitions have each proved their dedication to skill excellence in their chosen vocational field. The young Australians travel to the UK to participate in a two week Mission Performance Leadership Challenge where they test the limits of their mental and physical boundaries in tasks such as an expedition to the hills of North Wales and a sinking ship simulator.

BBM Scholarship Recipient Profile

Name: Rolf Barfoed
Region: Canberra
Category: Cabinetmaking
Employer: Dunstone Design
WorldSkills Australia National Competition Placing: 1st Place

International Work Experience:

The type of work I would like to experience in the UK is at workshops that are at the forefront of cabinetmaking, where they combine a long tradition of furniture making with the benefits of modern technology and fine design principles.

The businesses that I am interested in are at the forefront of this ideology and reflect what I want as part of my long term goals. Many of these businesses are members of the prestigious ‘Guild of Master Craftsmen’ and ‘The Worshipful Company of Furniture Makers’. These organizations unite and compare master cabinet makers.

View other BBM Scholarship recipient’s profiles.

With 120 days to go until the WorldSkills International Competition kicks off in Calgary, Canada, the Skillaroos are intensely training for their biggest career challenge to date. With determination to succeed, each Skillaroo and their Expert are working hard to ensure the best possible result.
Skillaroo, Melissa Guiney provides an account of her training trip to Taiwan.

Taiwan Mock Competition, Taipei, April 2009
By Printing and Graphic Arts Skillaroo, Melissa Guiney

“Earlier this month Sarah Jones (Expert) and I took off to Taipei, Taiwan, a city surrounded by beautiful mountains for a 3 day mock-competition. I completed 3 modules over the three days. These tested both my skills and my speed. The Taiwanese competitor (Esther) and I learnt a lot from this experience. As well as forging some great new friendships, we both have a stronger sense of where we need to concentrate for further training.

While overseas we took the opportunity to gain a wider knowledge of the design culture at places like: The Taiwan Design Centre, The Fine Arts Gallery, YuYu Yang Gallery and Yuen Foong Paper. We had the chance to visit one of the three Taiwan Regional Competitions and we learnt the importance of looking both left AND right on a one way street very very quickly!!

We had an amazing time and we're looking forward to seeing the Taiwanese Team in Calgary!

Electrical Installation and Industrial Control Skillaroos compete in Japan

Electrical Installation Skillaroo Gavin Press (Expert John Rudge) and Industrial Control Competitor, Benjamin Dean (Expert Warren Carlyon) are currently competing in a simulated International Competition in Japan. Watch this space.

Thanks to Web Design Expert, Jarrad Langdon and Skillaroo, Daniel Jones for creating a new website to promote the Skillaroos. With Jarrad overseeing the project, Daniel used this task as part of his training program. As an offshoot to the WSA website, the Skillaroos page is fresh, funky and contains great features. Well done boys. www.skillaroos.org.au

Brisbane Careers and Employment Expo, WorldSkills Australia Try’a Trade
Venue: Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre.
Date and Time: Friday 8 May, 9am-4pm, Saturday 9 May 10am-4pm

Sydney Careers and Employment Expo, WorldSkills Australia Try’a Trade
Venue: Sydney Convention and Exhibition Centre
Date and Time: Friday 29 May 9am-4pm, Saturday 30 May 10am-4pm

Mock Competition
Where: Newcastle Exhibition Centre, Newcastle Showground, Broadmeadow
When: 20 -23 May 2009
Why: Team Australia Skillaroos testing their skills in a simulated International Competition

Official Opening/Media Call
Wednesday 20 May 2009 @ 10.30am
Newcastle Exhibition Centre

Industry Day
Friday 22 May (10.00am – 12.00pm)

WorldSkills Australia continually seeks “Expressions of Interest” from people wishing to pursue the voluntary position of being on a design team to design competition projects for the National Competition.

If you are interested in volunteering, please complete the Expression of Interest Form from
the WorldSkills Australia Website and return to the National Office - info@worldskillsorg.au or
fax 03 9249 1033.

Download an Expressions of Interest form.

On May 29 -May 31 2009 as part of an effort to raise funds for the Day of Difference Foundation, WorldSkills Australia Operations Manager, Lincoln Costello will be cycling more than 400km from Hornsby to the Hunter Valley and return. He will be joining 50+ cyclists to raise much needed funds for burns victims from the recent Victoria Bushfires and to purchase audiovisual equipment at a Simulation Centre at Westmead Children’s Hospital.

Should you wish to support Lincoln’s expedition:

1. Go to www.entoure.com.au
2. Click on “Donate Now”
3. Click on ‘Sponsor an ENTOURE RIDER
4. Then click on Lincoln Costello and then follow the prompts.

M&H Air Conditioning is one of the leading air conditioning companies in the Newcastle region
and has been in operation since 1988, with 120
staff employed. M&H Air Conditioning has also been
appointed Daikin’s No.1 dealer for the past 11 years.

M&H Air Conditioning specialise in all facets of air conditioning for large and small commercial systems and domestic systems, from design, project management, installation and commissioning, as we as a preventative and breakdown service. M&H also offer the comfort of supporting what they sell, by being the warranty agents for the manufacturer.

M&H are the employers of 2009 Refrigeration Skillaroo Nash Mason and are financially supporting the refrigeration category internationally as well as supporting Nash through ongoing training.

www.hastiegroup.com.au/mhair

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.