2013 BBM Skilled Futures Program

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

The team undertook a combination of classroom activities as well as physical challenges, which placed them firmly out of their comfort zones. As part of the training, the recipients learnt about the various leadership styles and techniques in order to help them identify the styles that they currently employ and to gain an understanding of how others ‘lead’ and work within a team environment.

“During the Mission Performance program the team was faced with many challenging activities that pushed my strength, motivation, perseverance and character. Being able to complete the tasks and complete them to a level of my satisfaction was great. I felt a real sense of achievement standing at the top of Mount Snowdon in North Wales and reaching the top of the mountain in South Wales after bike riding, then going the extra distance bike riding along the canals. It has now motivated me in other areas of my life, showing me that when I put my mind to something I can achieve many things,” said 2013 recipient and Pastry Chef, Amy Kelly, regarding her experiences with BBM.

The majority of the recipients travelled to Leipzig to witness the 42^nd WorldSkills International Competition and all were great ambassadors for, not only the BBM Skilled Futures Program, but also for Australia. Whilst in Germany, Matthew Papandrea, representative for Meat Retailing, used the opportunity to meet with a company that supplies equipment to his workplace in Australia.

Following the conclusion of the International Competition, those who had organised work experience opportunities returned to the UK to commence their placements. “The highlight of working in London so far has been participating in the training program developed for the new interns starting at the company covering all the different aspects of how the company and industry operates. Gaining this kind of perspective in regards to the company is extremely beneficial for my role as a software development intern, and allows me to easily designate priority to tasks assigned to me in the future by members within my department,” said Rhys Walsh-Tindall of his international work experience made possible thanks to the BBM Skilled Futures Program.

For more information about BBM Ltd visit www.bbm.asn.au.