Mark Callaghan’s Welcome

Dear WorldSkills Supporter,

On Monday the 22nd of June the 2009 Team Australia Skillaroos took another very important step in their preparation for the 40th WorldSkills Competition when they were presented with their Official Team Uniforms by Minister Mark Arbib – the Minister for Employment Participation and the Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for Government Service Delivery. Minister Arbib, representing the Prime Minister reinforced the importance of this occasion when he addressed the Skillaroos by saying that “there is no greater honour than representing Australia”. The Ministers remarks were well received by the Skillaroos as they all commence the final stages of training and preparation.

The Uniform Presentation was the culmination of the Career One Team Australia Training Camp held over the weekend of the 20th and 21st of June at the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS). It was only fitting that this training camp and uniform presentation was held at the AIS – Australia’s pre-eminent elite sports training facility. By hosting these events at the AIS we are highlighting the value of success in the pursuit of skills excellence – not only to the Skillaroos but to all Australians as a whole.

Walking through the halls of the AIS you are constantly reminded of the achievements on the world stage of our sporting heroes – people like Robert De Castella, John Eales and Lauren Jackson. The 2009 Team Australia Skillaroos are elite performers in their own right and in just over 2 months time they will be testing themselves against the best in the world. Some will return as world champions and gold medalists, others with silver or bronze medals - but they will all return as heroes and as role models whose standards and level of skills we can all aspire to as we negotiate our own path to success.

Australian Institute of Sport, Canberra

View all the action from the CareerOne Team Australia Uniform Presentation on the WorldSkills Australia website. www.worldskills.org.au

View all photos from the event

View all videos

View Speech by News Limited Director of Sales Strategy, Dr Stephen Hollings

The One School, One Country program will give young students in Calgary the opportunity to learn about other countries’ values, traditions and cultures, providing students a look to their future and the possibility of a career in skilled trades or technologies.

WorldSkills Australia and Douglasdale School have been working together to create communication and transfer information between the Skillaroos and students. According to the Head Teacher at Douglasdale School, Mike McGowan both staff and students “are very excited for the arrival of the Skillaroos. We have been extremely busy building, studying and learning about the competitors and WorldSkills. Staff and students have enjoyed reading the emails from the Skillaroos”.  

Some of the activities the students of Douglasdale School have undertaken as part of studying Australia and the Skillaroos as part of the OSOC program are:

The Competition Hall
This is a space where classes go into and learn about the competitors and their skill.  Each classroom was assigned a Skillaroo to study and to then create a trifold poster to represent the competitor and their skill.  The trifolds all have the competitors bio's, other information, photos and some 3D displays (cabinets, bricklaying, computer technology). 
When the Skillaroos visit Douglasdale School in September they will be viewing the Competition Hall and reading about themselves as part of the school assembly. 

Experts
Whist studying the Skillaroos many classrooms invited Experts from Calgary to talk about skills and trades.  The grade 4's brought in a carpenter to help them build an actual cabinet,  another class built a small wall using mortar and bricks, the grade 2's held a spa day in honour of Jessie-Lee and her skill of Beauty Therapy. The grade 1's baked Anzac biscuits while reading "Magic Possum" a Mem Fox book about Australia. 

WorldSkills Assembly Day
Was held at the school and hosted by all of the Grade 3 classes. During this assembly students shared information about competitors that they were studying.  The entire school has learned Waltzing Matilda, with the students singing this song at the assembly.  Students and teachers also had some Mock Competitions for fun.  Students competed in Beauty Therapy and had to fix up two of the grade 3 teachers hair.  Fun times!

WorldSkills Sports Day
All students participated in fun events based on real competition venues.

WorldSkills Australia seeks “Expressions of Interest” from people wishing to be involved with WorldSkills Australia’s biggest Try’a Trade event to date, at the 2010 Australian Scout Jamboree. 12,000 scouts will converge on Cataract Scout Park, Cataract NSW (situated on the southern outskirts of Sydney) from 4th to 14th January 2010.

If you are interested in volunteering, please complete the Expression of Interest Form from the WorldSkills Australia Website and return to Michelle Hardy at the National Office - mhardy@worldskills.org.au or fax (03) 9249 1033.

Download the Expression of Interest Form

Josh Harris - Welding

Josh has recently returned from a trip to the United States following a rigorous training and competition schedule. He trained with a previous US Competitor in Phoenix at the Arizona State University from 16-21 June. Josh trained on Miller welding equipment (the equipment used for competition in Calgary).
Josh contested the US Skills Competition in Kansas City, Missouri from the 22- 25 June.  At the US Skills Competition Josh competed against three American men, vying for a spot to represent the United States in Welding.

All in all it was a worthwhile experience for Josh. As this was the first overseas trip for Josh, the travel experience was invaluable leading up to travel and competition in Calgary. The Touring Squad supporting Josh consisted of Danny Wheelwright (Teacher/Trainer from North Coast), Jeremy Grandsten (2005 Helsinki Welding Gold Medalist) and Expert Paul Condran.

Peter Steinweiss -Wall and Floor Tiling

Peter is currently training full time at Macquarie Fields TAFE with Don Muir and Ron Barrett. He is tiling his walls and timing each session so he can work on stream lining the project. Peter will travel across Australia to train in Perth with his expert Ron Simeon from the 13 July to the 7 of August.

Perrin Bouna-Automobile Technology

Perrin is currently undertaking training at Mazda training centre in Auckland. This is the first part of a 2 week training program put together at the Mock Competition in Newcastle with the New Zealand Expert. After this he spends time in Tamworth with Peter Colman on Auto Electrical and then to Ballarat to train full time till the competition. This shows full commitment to the competition. He will also go to Perth to judge in their state finals and spend time with 2007 Skillaroo and Gold Medalist, Dale McMullen.

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 Australian
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.

For more information on the AOF please visit the AOF website on www.aof.org.au

28-29 July 2009, Star City Casino, Sydney

The 2009 CPSISC Conference looks at what you need to successfully meet the future needs of industry in terms of learning, recognition and skills development.

WSA CEO Mark Callaghan will be delivering a speech at the conference, as will 2009 Bricklaying Skillaroo Nigel Croke. Nigel will provide an account of his experience and success in the WorldSkills Australia competitions and the anticipation leading up to representing Australia in Calgary at the 40th WorldSkills International Competition. 

For more information or to register, go to:

http://www.cpsisc.com.au/CPSISCSkillsConf09/

SkillsTech Australia is one of Australia's leading vocational education facilities and is Queensland's leading TAFE institute in automotive, building and construction, manufacturing and engineering, and electrical/electronics studies.

Courses have been designed in close consultation with business and industry, ensuring industry-relevant skills and knowledge for our graduates.

It commenced trading as a Registered Training Organisation on 1 July 2006.
SkillsTech Australia, a key component of the government's $1 billion Queensland Skills Plan, was created as part of a multi-faceted response to Queensland's skills shortages by modernising the way trade and technician training is delivered throughout the state.

Working closely with industry to ensure relevance, SkillsTech Australia is reviewing and redesigning trade and technician programs to suit both the needs of the learner and industry's needs for innovative, technology-driven, efficient and flexible training.

Fourteen thousand students currently undertake trade training at SkillsTech Australia with this number expected to grow to more than 20,000 students by 2010.

WorldSkills Australia would like to sincerely thank SkillsTech Australia for their tremendous support of the Queensland Team Australia competitors Perrin Bouna - Automobile Technology, Jessie Gladwell – Beauty Care, Andrew Arthur – Manufacturing Team Challenge and Daniel Karanges – Sheetmetal in their quest for gold at the 40th WorldSkills International Competition, Calgary, Canada 1-7 September 2009.

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.