Skills Squad represent Australian skill excellence in the UK

This March five of the Skills Squad members will be in the Manchester region in the UK for four days of skills competition against their WorldSkills UK counterparts.

Each of the participating Skills Squad members were selected following their individual successes at the WorldSkills’ national competition, which was held in Melbourne in October 2016.

The Skills Squad members travelling to the UK are all attending the skills competition for their specific trade: Gaby Ware for hairdressing; Joshua Morrissey for joinery; Lily Campbell for beauty therapy; Nick Johnston for cabinetmaking; and Ryan Grieger for carpentry.

Each of the Skills Squad members is training with a dedicated skills mentor and expert who will accompany them to the UK, providing each Skills Squad member with guidance and support throughout the experience.

The UK competition is a valuable opportunity for each of the Skills Squad members to test their skills and cultivate experience in their chosen trade.

Gaby said her WorldSkills experience had been hard work but it was a “once in a lifetime opportunity.”

Joshua added to this by saying his WorldSkills experience had “given me more motivation to pursue my passion in joinery and to continue to better myself”.

Ryan said he would encourage any young person to pursue a trade or skill.

“If you really set your mind to it and put in the hard yards it can take you places all over the country and the world,” he said.

WorldSkills Australia CEO Brett Judd congratulates all the travelling Skills Squad members’ success saying: “WorldSkills is committed to giving young people valuable opportunities, such as this UK experience, to showcase and enhance their skills.”