WorldSkills Australia 
Australia’s best and brightest heading to Brazil for the 43rd WorldSkills Competition
After undergoing months of intensive training, WorldSkills Australia is pleased to announce the names of the 25 Skillaroos that will represent Australia at the 43rd WorldSkills Competition in Brazil on 11-16 August:
- John Reminis, Bakery
- Sam Spong, Bricklaying
- Karl Geue, Cabinetmaking
- Blair Watters, Car Painting
- Adele Di Bella, Pâtisserie and Confectionery
- Michael James, Construction Metal Work
- Emma Hillier, Fashion Technology
- Jessica Peters, Floristry
- Dale Fisher, Graphic Design Technology
- Hayley Parker, Hairdressing
- Jim D’Elboux, Industrial Control
- Joseph Pauley, Industrial Mechanic Millwright
- Jyothi Forman, Jewellery
- Nicholas Roman, Joinery
- Matt Sawers, Manufacturing Team Challenge
- Kelvin Marquand, Manufacturing Team Challenge
- Luke Schaenzel, Manufacturing Team Challenge
- Sharlene Kidd, Painting and Decorating
- Dylan Di Martino, Plumbing and Heating
- Beau Kupris, Refrigeration and Air Conditioning
- Samantha Johnson, Restaurant Service
- Thomas Crittenden, Sheet Metal Technology
- Daniel Picariello, Wall and Floor Tiling
- Harlan Wilton, Web Design
- Kallon McVicar, Welding
The WorldSkills Competition occurs every two years and is the biggest vocational education and skills showcase in the world. This year’s competition will see 59 countries represented by 1,176 experts and over 1,200 competitors competing in 50 skill categories. Held from 11-16 August at Anhembi Exhibition Centre in São Paulo, Brazil, the competition will utilise 213,000m² of competition space – equivalent to the size of 17 Olympic sized swimming pools. The Skillaroos will compete in 23 skills categories in the hopes of taking home a gold medal for their country.
The Skillaroos team is comprised of members from the Skills Squad, who were introduced by WorldSkills Australia after their medal-winning performances at the 2014 WorldSkills Australia National Competition. A new concept first introduced in 2014, it involved the ongoing evaluation of each member to ensure they met their training commitments, with the overarching goal of boosting Australia back into the top 10 teams worldwide by bringing the best team possible to the competition.
The Skills Squad recently returned triumphant from the inaugural WorldSkills Oceania Competition, competing against New Zealand, Korea, Malaysia, China, India and Canada. Months of intensive training with dedicated Training Managers paid off when the team received a combined total of 10 gold, 10 silver and 6 bronze medals. This competition was the deciding factor in determining which Skills Squad members would be selected for the 2015 Skillaroos team.
“To be chosen to represent your country in any discipline is a tremendous achievement, and those who have been named as a 2015 Skillaroo should be incredibly proud. While they have endured many hours of training and preparation to get to this stage, it is only the tip of the iceberg as they now hone their skills to take on the best of the world,” says WorldSkills Australia CEO, Mark Callaghan.
Callaghan maintains that trades and skills competitions play a unique role in emphasising the importance of vocational education and training to local economies. “Each member of the 2015 Skillaroos will not only represent their country, they will also represent their respective industries and collectively, will showcase the high quality of vocational education and training that exists in Australia.”
The Skillaroos will continue their training regimes over the coming months before WorldSkills Australia sends the team off to Brazil in style at a Farewell Function to be held on 4 August 2015 at Turner Hall, TAFE NSW Ultimo College.