WorldSkills Australia, TAFE NSW and BBM Ltd have once again collaborated to deliver an innovative and community focused, Giant Steps Plumbing Project. The Gladesville based, Giant Steps, is an educational centre for children and young adults with autism. Located at the old Gladesville Hospital site, Giant Steps was developed by a group of parents who wanted to build an institute where therapy and education could be combined in a supportive and understanding environment. They have been able to achieve incredible results whilst also providing emotional and educational support to families.

However, like most organisations of this nature, budgets are often tight. With this in mind, BBM Youth Support, WSA and TAFE NSW set out to install a much needed drainage system in the Giant Steps courtyard. In early May, pre-apprenticeship plumbing students from TAFE NSW, under the supervision and coordination of Greg Fahey, Peter Bowler and Jeff Hill, all from the TAFE NSW Plumbing section, worked together install piping and draining. The equipment and materials for the project were generously supplied by Coates Hire Gladesville, Seymour Building Supplies (Gladesville), Reln Plumbing Supplies and Consolidates Alloys.

BBM Ltd became a prominent international pathway for WorldSkills Australia in 2000, when the two organisations first partnered to select and grant young and talented competitors with scholarships to travel to the United Kingdom to participate in a two week leadership development course.

On Sunday 16^th of July, 16 young men and women departed Sydney International Airport to participate in what has been described by many as a “once in a lifetime experience.” The BBM Skilled Futures Program offers WorldSkills Australia National Competition gold medallists the opportunity to travel to Wales, United Kingdom, to participate in a two-week leadership course followed by international work experience.

The 2013 BBM Skilled Futures Program team were selected after their medal winning performances at last year’s 2012 WSA National Competition held in Sydney. The team were sent off in style with a Farewell Function held at the Mercure Hotel in Sydney on Saturday the 15^th.

Over the course of the two-week program, recipients will face a series of mentally and physically challenging team activities including a sinking ship simulator, mountain biking and trekking. Another important component of this course is the Strength Deployment Inventory, a self-assessment tool which will analyse the behaviours and personalities of each team member.

In eight days’ time, the 2013 Team Australia Skillaroos will board a plane bound for Germany to compete in the ‘world games of skills’ – the 42^nd WorldSkills International Competition, Leipzig. The competition will be their biggest career challenge to date and will place the spotlight firmly on their skills in front of an international audience.

The Skillaroos are set to compete against competitors from up to 65 Member countries/regions and in front of an expected audience of 200,000. This is not to mention the millions of fans, followers, parents and friends who will be tuning into the competition via the web.

The competitors were selected to be a part of Team Australia following their medal winning performances at the 2012 WorldSkills Australia National Competition in Sydney. Since the announcement of the Skillaroos last November, they have worked and trained tirelessly to master their trades and hone their skills, with the end of goal of achieving international glory. The competitors will be proudly waving the Australia flag for their country, industries and regions.

This has not been an individual effort by any means. The Skillaroos have had the privilege of working alongside their extensive support networks, consisting of team leaders, experts and trainers – all of which are volunteers. The support network, who continue to give their time to training and supporting Australia’s next generation of skill and trade technicians, are instrumental in the success of the Team Australia Skillaroos.

As with all WorldSkills International Competitions, the competition is not the only highlight of the six-day festivities. Team Australia will also participate in events such as the Leipzig Excursions, One School One Country, Worlds of Discovery and the Opening and Closing Ceremonies. Each of these contributes to the overall atmosphere and experience of the competition. WorldSkills Australia will be delivering the highlights from all aspects of Leipzig 2013.

It is an exciting time for WorldSkills Australia with the spotlight shining brightly on the Skills Champions from the 2012 WSA National Competition.

On Saturday the 15^th of June I attended the farewell function for the 2013 BBM Skilled Futures recipients – 16 young Australians who will complete a 2 week Leadership Course in the UK followed by work experience in their respective fields. What a fantastic opportunity to not only learn some valuable leadership skills but also to learn new skills and techniques as well as share knowledge with their UK hosts. Thank you again to BBM for their tremendous support.

While the BBM Skilled Future recipients will be refining their Leadership Skills, 31 WorldSkills Australia champions will be flying the Aussie flag in Leipzig as they compete as part of the 2013 Team Australia Skillaroos. The 42^nd WorldSkills Competition in Leipzig promises to be the biggest international competition to date and for those of you who do not have the opportunity to be in Leipzig, WorldSkills Australia will again bring you all the action. With the time difference between Germany and Australia make sure you check the WSA website first thing in the morning to see all the action from the previous days competition. Whether it is via the WSA Facebook or Twitter pages, the WSA You Tube channel, Flickr, Instagram or the WSA website – you should be able to watch and share all the action (almost as it happens) from Leipzig.

On the 16^th of June, 16 of Australia’s elite trade and skill technicians will embark on a two-week trip of a lifetime to the United Kingdom, after being selected to be part of the BBM Skilled Futures Program. The program will see these highly skilled young professionals participate in a leadership and development program facilitated by Mission Performance. This is then followed by an extensive international work experience placement, which will enable them to develop and advance further in their trade and industry.

The 2013 Skilled Futures Program team were selected after their medal winning performances at the WorldSkills Australia (WSA) National Competition held in Sydney last year, which hosted 500 of Australia’s highest achieving trainees and apprentices.

Over the course of the two week program, recipients will face a series of mentally and physically challenging team activities including a sinking ship simulator, mountain biking and trekking. Another important component of this course is the Strength Deployment Inventory, a self assessment tool which will analyse the behaviours and personalities of each team member.

BBM Ltd has maintained a longstanding relationship with WSA and is a prominent international pathway for the organisation, since first partnering in 2000. Together the organisations have worked to develop and enrich the lives of Australia’s young and talented, by granting them the opportunity to enhance their career prospects overseas.

Learn more about the BBM Skilled Futures Program.

WorldSkills Australia seeks “Expressions of Interest” from people wishing to pursue the voluntary role of designing competition projects that are used for 2014 National Competition.

We encourage interest from people equipped with the following essential criteria:

• relevant industry experience
• participation in recent WSA competitions
• knowledge of industry training
• knowledge of current training package
• work as a team member
• current knowledge of industry standards
• high level communication skills
• current trade/industry involvement

Click here to express your interest to design.

About the WorldSkills Australia National Competition

The WorldSkills Australia National Competition hosts the countries best trainees and apprentices in an exciting three day competition. The competitors converge from the 30 WSA Regions to compete in their specialised skill areas. The event concludes with an exciting closing ceremony, where medallists are called to stage in front of an audience of 2,000.

The venue for the National Competition alternates between states every two years. Medallists from the WorldSkills Australia National Competition, if eligible, may be offered a position in one WSA’s International Pathways or as a Team Australia Skillaroo.

Volunteer of the Month

WorldSkills is an extremely fortunate organisation to have such an extensive cohort of volunteers who generously give their time to our program of events. Greg Fahey’s ongoing support for regional, national and international events is a perfect example of the level of commitment our volunteers have for making the WSA mission a reality.

Greg is the Head Teacher of the Plumbing section at TAFE NSW – Western Sydney Institute, Mt Druitt Campus. When he isn’t teaching or taking a cruise with his wife Julie, Greg can be found convening WSA Regional and National Competitions. Greg is also the Chair for the Sydney West Regional Committee. He continues to support WSA in a number of capacities including the facilitation of the 2013 WorldSkills Australia Regional Workshop in February of this year.

Greg has been nominated for Volunteer of the Month for his outstanding contribution to the Giant Steps Plumbing Project. Greg, alongside two other TAFE NSW plumbing teachers, coordinated and supervised the project from start to finish.

WorldSkills Australia would like to thank Greg for his continued support and generosity, in particular for the role he undertook to make the Giant Steps initiative a possibility.

Volunteer of the Month

Ron Simeon is a longstanding member of the WorldSkills Australia family. He has worn many hats during his time as a WSA volunteer including, regional, national and international project designer and judge. In more recent years he has been the Chief Judge at both regional and national levels and he currently holds the position as a WorldSkills Expert. Ron is also an avid fundraiser, organising charity golf days to raise funds for his category.

When he is not fishing or playing golf, Ron is either tiling or training up future wall and floor tilers either through this role at WorldSkills or as a TAFE teacher at Polytechnic West. His involvement with WSA reflects his passion for youth and the future of his industry.

WorldSkills Australia would like to thank Ron for his continued support. He has been a role model and mentor to many and he continues to generously give his time to training the next generation of wall and floor tilers.

The 2013 Global Skills Challenge (GSC) officially came to an end the evening of Friday May 3^rd, when over 200 guests converged at the Duxton Hotel to bid farewell, bon voyage and mempunyai perjalanan bagus, to their new international friends. The Duxton Ballroom was filled with WorldSkills themed balloons, relief, excitement and many newly formed friendships. It was a fitting conclusion for the exhilarating week which preceded it.

Over 12 WorldSkills Member countries/regions joined WorldSkills Australia (WSA) at the Global Skills Challenge in Perth. In honour of both local and international guests, WSA hosted a dinner to officially welcome all delegates to the 2013 GSC, Perth. The function, held at the Burwsood on Swan, was officially opened by the Hon. Terry Redman, Minister for Training and Workforce Development. Other speakers included Jill Jamieson, Managing Director for Polytechnic West and Brian Wexham, Chair of WorldSkills Australia. Highlights from the evening included an authentic Australian barbeque and a traditional Aboriginal dance routine.

Tuesday, April 30^th marked day one of the GSC. Competitors, experts, team leaders, trainers and translators, each boarded their respective buses to make their way to one of three Polytechnic West Campuses; Bentley, Carlisle and Midland. Day one of competition kicked off at 8:00am sharp and proved to be difficult for some as they familiarised themselves with their category projects. By the end of Tuesday, projects began to take form; patterns were cut, paint colours were matched and metals were welded. See footage from day one of competition.

After an exciting first day, the 86 competitors returned for days two and three of competition with renewed energy, a better understanding of their projects and desire to compete to the best of their abilities. In the creatively inclined categories of Hairdressing, Painting and Decorating and Graphic Design Technology, complete modules were looking colourful and vibrant. The sparks were flying in categories such as Welding, Sheetmetal Technology and Construction Metal Work, as pieces of metal were being transformed. It was difficult to see the carpenters, joiners and cabinetmakers amongst the debris of timber and sawdust as the competitors were busily working away on their pergolas, cabinets or drawers. View footage from day two and three of the GSC.

An overarching highlight of the Global Skills Challenge was the involvement of the Hon. Terry Redman, Minister for Training and Workforce Development. The Minister generously gave up his time to not only speak at the Opening Function, but to also visit the competition site on Wednesday May 1^st. The Minister was escorted on a tour around Polytechnic West’s, Midland Campus, where he witnessed the competitors in action. He spent his time learning about the event itself, the international projects at hand and the training regimes of the competitors who stood before him. Listen to what Minister Redman had to say about the Global Skills Challenge.

The final day of competition had come faster than most had anticipated and competitors were busily applying the final touches to their projects. The end was now in sight for all competitors; grout was being cleaned, brick work was being dusted, hair was being styled and the refrigeration systems were being tested, all in preparation for the final assessments.

The conclusion of Friday May 3^rd marked the official end to another successful Global Skills Challenge. Regardless of the finals marks, all competitors left the competition with a better understanding of what awaits them in July and new set of goals to work towards over the next 60 days.

Thank you to everyone who contributed towards the 2013 Global Skills Challenge, in particular the volunteers who assisted with all facets of the competition, the employers who allowed the competitors to attend the event, the sponsors and suppliers who provided the use of their materials and equipment, the international guests who travelled long distances to be a part of it all and our event partners, Polytechnic West, who opened the doors to three of its campuses and made the event a possibility.

Recently, WorldSkills Australia (WSA) staged the 2013 Global Skills Challenge (GSC) in Perth. This event has become a significant event in the WSA calendar as an extremely valuable training exercise for the Team Australia Skillaroos as they prepare for the demands and challenges of the International Competition. With only seven weeks until the Skillaroos depart for Germany, the GSC provided a renewed focus for the final stages of training, highlighting areas that require further attention. From that point of view, it has been invaluable.

The 2013 GSC is an important event from a strategic point of view as it allows us to highlight one of the benefits of being a part of an International organisation. The 2013 GSC saw representation from 12 Member countries/regions with participation from many Asian members including China, India, Malaysia and Japan. As we continue to hear of the importance of Australia’s relationship and connections with Asia, WSA has shown it can play a role in facilitating these connections via the international WorldSkills network. We look forward to continuing to work with the Australian Government to ensure we maximise the benefits of these existing relationships.

Perhaps the highlight of the week of the GSC for me though, was the opportunity of escorting Minister Terry Redman (WA Minister for Training & Workforce Development) around the competition at the Polytechnic West Midland Campus. Not only did he get to see the competitors in action but he also had the chance to speak with the WSA International Experts. What came through yet again in these discussions, was the tremendous amount of passion that the WSA Experts have for passing on their knowledge and being able to witness the growth of the young Australians who progress through the WSA competitions. While this was the first time Minister Redman had visited a WSA competition and had heard these stories, it was something that I have the privilege of seeing and hearing on a regular basis from the vast volunteer network that are the backbone of WSA – from the regional level right through to the international stage. It is this passion and dedication that drives WSA programs.