Mark Callaghan’s Welcome

Dear WorldSkills Supporter,

April saw the first National champion crowned in the 2008 WorldSkills Australia National competition. Congratulations to Nash Mason from the Hunter region who won the gold medal for the Refrigeration category at the National competition held from the 20th to the 22nd of April in Melbourne. At a fantastic Presentation Dinner hosted by RACCA, Nash was awarded the gold medal together with a tremendous prize courtesy of one of our sponsors Lu-Ve Contardo to travel to Germany to attend the Chillventa Exhibition, the largest refrigeration and air-conditioning expo in the world. To top it all off it was Nash’s birthday – all the more reason for him to celebrate.

It is now ‘full steam’ ahead with the planning for the major event of the WorldSkills Australia calendar – the WorldSkills Australia National Competition, Sydney 2008. In just under 10 weeks we will commence the major task of ‘bumping-in’ to the Sydney Convention and Exhibition Centre. While there is still much work to do we are well on track to preparing the largest WorldSkills Australia National competition under the one roof. With a floor space of over 17,500 square metres (or 2 ½ rugby league pitches) and over 2km of category walling, planning for the National competition is a huge logistical undertaking and one that would not be possible without the efforts of many people. All of these dedicated and enthusiastic members of the WorldSkills Australia family continue to work behind the scenes to ensure that Australia’s talented young trades and skills exponents have the best possible conditions in which to work over the 3 days of competition. 

I hope as many of you as possible find the time to visit the competition from the 11th to the 13th of July to witness, not only the next generation of industry leaders in action, but also to marvel at the scale of the competition and at just what can be achieved through the dedication and passion of the countless volunteers combined with the tremendous support from industry, Governments and training organisations.

Loss to WorldSkills Australia

WorldSkills Australia wishes to express its deepest condolences to the family and friends of Mr Kevin Huckstepp, who recently passed away.

Kevin, who was employed at Silverwater Welding, was a long serving member of the WorldSkills Australia community and a valued supporter of WSA’s development and progress of all levels of the welding category.

Reminder: Judges

Please submit your forms as soon as possible to ensure your position in the National Competition.

Preparation in brief

Once again the WorldSkills Australia National Competition is not too far in the distance and has so far called upon the dedication of nearly 250 judges, the talents of over 500 competitors and has received the overwhelming enthusiasm of countless volunteers.

The staff of WorldSkills Australia’s national office has been busy communicating with all involved to create and utilise opportunities in operations, sponsorship and marketing to ensure all stakeholders and the community benefit from a successful National Competition.

The National Competition is occupying four halls of the Sydney Convention and Exhibition Centre and will take up over 17, 500m² of space to fit an expected 70,000 spectators. Each category will require elaborate work stations for each competitor and some will include Mack trucks, machinery and cars, massage tables, commercial kitchens and computer labs – all will provide an amazing visual spectacle to visitors. 

A new site map has been added to the WorldSkills Australia website to guide visitors around the site and to see which categories offer Try’a Trade . Another new feature is the online registration form for schools who wish to attend. The school with the most students and teachers attending will a Breville Café Roma Stainless Coffee Machine and two Apple iPod Nanos for a school draw.  

Fundraising Regions

Members of the Ballarat region have conducted a fundraising raffle with funds to aid the team in their travels to the WorldSkills Australia National Competition, 2008. Competitors, experts and team leaders hope to raise $25,000 for flights and accommodation.

The first prize of the raffle, which is being held every Sunday at the Ballarat ‘Trash and Trivia’ Market, is a gazebo built by carpentry competitor, Brendan Berlund. The second prize is a hardwood hall stand built by Ballarat’s cabinetmaking competitor, Brenton Murray.

Each Sunday competitors are rostered on to sell the raffle tickets for $2 each at the local market. Team leader, Andrew Dower, recognised the fundraiser as a great training and team building prospect for competitors and an opportunity for the members of the Ballarat/Wimmera area to learn more about WorldSkills Australia and support their local team.

Calling all Volunteers!

Do you want to be a part of Australia’s largest skill and trades event that will see over 60,000 visitors? You could gain experience in fields like event management, administration, operations and marketing and will receive a certificate in appreciation for contribution. To express your interest click here, download the application form, and send it to Glenda.Grice@tafensw.edu.au.

Green WSA

Did you know that for the first time ever in the WorldSkills movement, both nationally and internationally, the ecological footprint of a competition will be measured? This is with the aim to set a precedent for all WorldSkills Australia National Competitions and international member countries to become more environmentally sustainable. 

In an effort to address challenges around environmental sustainability WorldSkills Australia and Dusseldorp Skills Forum (DSF) are working together to make the 2008 National Competition as environmentally friendly as possible.

For more information visit www.worldskills-sustainable.org.au.

Refrigeration National Competition

The WorldSkills Australia Refrigeration National Competition was held in Melbourne on 20th to 22nd April in conjunction with the ARBS (Air-conditioning, Refrigeration and Building Services) Exhibition. The three day competition was held at the Melbourne Exhibition and Convention Centre and also included public demonstrations on the 23rd April.

Congratulations to the national refrigeration gold medallist, Nash Mason, from the Hunter region, who trains at Illawarra Institute of TAFE and is employed at Hastie M&H Air Conditioning. Nash competed against ten other national competitors for the title among a strong industry crowd and was presented his gold medal at the RACCA presentation dinner on the 22nd April.

The silver medal was awarded to David Restuccia and the bronze was won by Leigh Coffill, both from the Sydney-West region.

Nash Mason, National refrigeration gold medallist

CIS Scoring

This year's WorldSkills Australia National Competition sees the introduction of CIS (Competition Information System), an assessment software program that was designed specifically for WorldSkills competitions. Designed in Finland in readiness for the 2005 international competition, the system has now been fine tuned and will be used for the first time at our 2008 WorldSkills Australia National Competition.

CIS is a complete competition management system and allows for a variety of different marking analysis which will assist in ensuring we assess our competitors to world standards.

John Shiel and Jane Stokie recently tested the CIS system while attending the first Gulf Skills Competition in the Untied Arab Emirates. CIS is now in the process of being ready for National Competition. This is another step forward in ensuring the 2008 national competition will be the most professional ever.

Mark, Jane and John preparing the CIS system

This month WorldSkills Australia will hold a Try’a Trade event in Melbourne from 16th to 17th May. Try’a Trade is to be held in conjunction with the EOC National Careers and Employment Expo at the Melbourne Exhibition and Convention Centre with the support of Group Training Victoria.

WorldSkills Australia and GTA Victoria will host 15 skill categories to try and will be available to school students and adults alike with the aim to expose a variety of interesting and hands-on career paths under the supervision of industry experts and current apprentices.

The Try’a Trade categories include: Automotive Mechanics, Bricklaying, Cabinetmaking, Carpentry, Electrical, Engineering, Hairdressing, Horticulture, Hospitality, Mechanical Engineering, Nursing, Painting and Decorating, Plastering, Plumbing and Tiling.

There are many more Try’a Trade events being held across Australia throughout the year and additional events will be confirmed as teachers, career advisers and regional contacts are increasingly recognising the value in exposing trades and skills to young Australians. Click here to view the current list of confirmed dates.

The 2007 Skillaroos mascot has finally made its last stop at the WorldSkills Australia National Office. Sir Bundy-Chopper Roo was aptly named by the 2007 team: ‘Chopper’ after a group vote and ‘Bundy’ from his purchase-place in Bundaberg, Queensland.

Mascot Custodian, Lachlan Thomas (Refrigeration competitor), conducted the hand over of Sir Bundy-Chopper Roo while in Melbourne for the National Refrigeration Competition and presented WorldSkills Australia CEO, Mark Callaghan with a framed plaque describing Bundy’s journey as mascot.

“He ventured everywhere the team did (Brisbane, Tasmania, Sydney and Japan) and at the Medal Ceremony was lucky enough to make multiple trips to the podium with our medallists.”

Sir Bundy-Chopper Roo is now ready and waiting for the upcoming 2009 Skillaroos, to accompany them to the WorldSkills International Competition in Calgary, Canada.

Young Achiever of the Year

Congratulations to Lachlan Thomas, 2007 Refrigeration Skillaroo, for winning CoolWorld Industry Young Achiever of the Year award. The two finalists, James Treganowan and Adam Ziino, were also 2006 National competitors. The award, among others, was announced at a presentation dinner on 21st April at Peninsula, the Docklands in Melbourne. 

Lachlan is a fantastic representative of the Refrigeration industry and proved himself as one of the best in the world by bringing home a Medallion of Excellence from the WorldSkills International Competition in Japan, 2007. The 22 year old has had his talent recognised by his employer, Dawson’s Technical Services, by being appointed as service manager upon his return from Japan, now with his own staff of seven tradesmen and apprentices.

WorldSkills Exchange

Calling all employers: don’t miss your chance to join the global network!

WorldSkills International is providing the unique opportunity for your company to learn from other countries/regions and the expert skills of a WorldSkills Champion. How? Host a WorldSkills Champion in your workplace by joining the WorldSkills Champions Exchange program.

WorldSkills guarantees a high quality WorldSkills Champion for the duration of the Exchange, while your company enjoys the benefits of becoming involved with a growing network of like-minded host Companies in the global skills market.

If you'd like to be a host employer for 6 - 18 months please contact Mikaeli.Costello@worldskills.org
For more information please visit: www.worldskillschampions.com 

WorldSkills Australia would like to acknowledge the support of all our sponsors and the many volunteers who contribute to the success of skill development in Australia. For sponsorship information and opportunities contact Catherine Huntley, Sponsorship Coordinator, at chuntley@worldskills.org.au.

Fluke is a world leader in the manufacture, distribution and service of electronic test tools and software.

Since its founding in 1948, Fluke Corporation has helped define and grow a unique technology market, providing testing and troubleshooting capabilities that have grown to mission critical status in manufacturing and service industries.

From industrial electronic installation, maintenance and service, to precision measurement and quality control, Fluke tools help keep business and industry around the globe up and running. Typical customers and users include technicians, engineers, metrologists, and computer network professionals — people who stake their reputation on their tools, and use tools to help extend their personal power and abilities.

WorldSkills Australia would like to sincerely thank Fluke Australia for its continued and valuable support at Regional, National and International level.