Government, Industry and Nation’s Best Young Talent Come Together to Celebrate Australian Skills Excellence

Senior Canberra stakeholders will be given an inside look into Australia’s skills sector at an event at Parliament House on Tuesday 25 June.

The Empowering Skills Excellence briefing session will update advisors and other government officials on how Australia is utilising the concept of skills excellence to promote the nation’s vocational education and training sector and address skills shortages.

The event is hosted by WorldSkills Australia, a social enterprise that passionately believes skills drive the future of young people, and of Australia. Several members of the 2024 “Skillaroos” team will speak to the crowd ahead of their trip to Lyon, France, where they will represent Australia in the WorldSkills International Competition.

Over 1,500 competitors from 65 nations will take part in the competition, which will see them compete in their respective skills to be crowned the best in the world.

The event will also include the unveiling of the 2024 Skillaroouniform, which Team Australia will wear while in Lyon. The uniform’s design has been created by Indigenous artist, Jacinta-Rai Ridgeway, who will speak at the event before Federal Minister for Skills and Training, The Hon. Brendan O’Connor MP, is presented with a framed shirt.

The Empowering Skills Excellence event comes just weeks after Australia hosted the Global Skills Challenge, a friendly competition between 17 participating countries, that simulated the conditions of the International Competition.

All 32 Skillaroos competed, with 15 receiving medals for their outstanding efforts. The team’s performance put Australia in second place in the overall medal tally, sitting just behind Chinese Taipei and raising hopes for a strong performance in Lyon.

 Quotes attributable to Hon Brendan O’Connor MP, Federal Minister for Skills and Training

“It’s my pleasure to welcome WorldSkills Australia to Parliament, and particularly the competitors and mentors from Team Australia who competing at the WorldSkills International competition in Lyon, France in September.

I wish the Skillaroos the best of luck as they compete against other students, apprentices and trainees from all over the world – and bring even more French gold home following the Olympics and Paralympics.”

Quotes attributable to Trevor Schwenke, WorldSkills Australia CEO

“Australia’s skills training sector is truly world-class and we’re excited to shine a light on some of the fantastic initiatives. The public sector does a lot to support our mission and Empowering Skills Excellence will allow them to see the positive impact that investment is having.

This will be a fantastic opportunity for our young Skillaroos, who have put in so much work, studying and training supported by their skill experts. When they head to Lyon in September, they will be representing Australia’s skills training sector and, having seen their talent first-hand, I’m sure they’ll do it proud.”