Justin Laidlaw

Car Painting

How did you get into the industry?
I have always had a huge interest in cars and Vehicle Painting really appealed to me. I thought combining the two a good fit for me.

Would you recommend a trade/skill based career to others?
Yes! I find my job in the Vehicle Painting industry very enjoyable, fun and mentally stimulating.

How has WorldSkills Australia helped you so far personally & professionally?
Being involved in the WorldSkills Australia Competitions has helped me gain skills in a vehicle painting product I have not used in my work before. Also I believe the experience of competing in the competition has pushed me to want to achieve more in my career.

Would you recommend others participate in the WorldSkills Competitions?
Yes. I personally was recommended by fellow work mates and family to enter the Competition – I would encourage anyone eligible to give it a go. The WSA National Competition was a very good experience.

What do you enjoy most about your job?
I enjoy seeing the finished result and seeing the look of a satisfied customer.

What do you hope to achieve in both short and long terms of your career?
In the short term I want to achieve my best on the International stage and win a gold medal in Calgary, Canada. In the long term I would like to be an airbrush artist.

Achievements
Hunter Regional Competition 2007: Gold
National Competition 2008: Gold

Expert

Brian Johnson

Brian Johnson has been with the WorldSkills community for 20 years as Regional and National Judge, Convenor and International Expert for 5 competitions. He is a vehicle painting teacher at the Hunter Institute of Technology. One of Brian%27s aims is to help Justin achieve the most he can during and well after the competition. He believes not everyone is challenged within their workplace and all young people, their employers and industry would benefit from competitions where skills excellence is encouraged. Brian also trained Stuart Aisbett, silver medalist in WorldSkills International Competition Japan, 2007.