WorldSkills Australia What are Virtual Skills Competitions?
Every two years, WorldSkills Australia runs regional skill competitions, which give young trainees and apprentices the opportunity to showcase their talent while vying for a chance to compete both nationally and internationally.
In 2024 there will be Virtual Skills Competitions for a number of digital skills including Cloud Computing, Cyber Security and IT Network Systems Administration.
Virtual Skills Competitions are held remotely and are open to competitors anywhere in Australia. Successful competitors may be offered a chance to compete at the 2025 WorldSkills Australia National Championships, due to be held in Brisbane in June 2025. Exceptional competitors at the National Championships may then have the opportunity to compete at the next WorldSkills International Competition in Shanghai China in 2026.
See the links below to check when registrations open.
Cloud Computing - Tuesday 20 August 2024 - Registrations now closed
Cyber Security - 7 November 2024 - Registrations now closed
IT Network Systems Administration
What are skill competitions?
Skill competitions are an opportunity for Australia’s trainees and apprentices to test their skills and knowledge in their chosen field against their peers.
Competitors first participate in a regional competition – usually held at a school or training organisation – where they test their skills against others in their region. People who perform well at the regional competition will spend the next several months training for the National Championships – an exciting, three-day competition where regional winners from all across the country meet up to compete, network and learn. From there, national medalists may be invited to train for the International Competition. This competition, run in a different city every two years, sees the very best skills talent from all over the world compete over four days.
Held every two years, the National Championships are the biggest trades and skills competition in the country. The next one is due to be held in Melbourne in August 2023, and will consist of more than 50 competitions and loads of Try’aSkill booths where you can try your hand at different trades and skills.
Competition Information
Cloud Computing
Cloud Computing
AWS are pleased to be supporting the WorldSkills Australia Cloud Computing Skill Regional Event for 2024, to give you the opportunity to demonstrate and improve your cloud skills in a fun environment.
The competition environment is a series of capture the flag challenges. Each challenge is worth a number of points that are awarded when the challenge is solved. Each challenge also includes hints, but using these hints reduces the number of points you may receive for that challenge.
The competition is 4hrs – with 30 mins additional for Brief and Debrief of the event
The event is completely virtual, so you will need
- A computer running Windows, MacOSX or Linux
- A modern browser, preferably Chrome or Firefox
- A microphone or headset
- An internet connection
AWS Cloud Computing encompasses many different skills and disciplines in the production and maintenance of websites and involves implementing specific solutions that follow the business rules and objectives outlined by the client.
The WorldSkills Australia AWS Cloud Computing competitions are aligned to the ICT Information and Communications Technology Training Package and Regional Competition and the competition will be focused on the AWS Cloud Computing services in a series of prepared scenarios that represent common
use-cases and operational task of AWS services.
Skills may include:
• VPC
• EC2
• S3
• KMS
• Cloud Watch
• Cloud Trail
• Lambda
• Databases
• IAM
• Cloud Formation
Topics may include:
• Security
• DevOps
• AI/ML
• Data analytics
• Migration tools
The event is supported AWS staff.
Questions?
Contact Name: Monica Moorfield
Contact Email: monvdk@amazon.com
Cyber Security
Cyber Security
This competition is a team event with a red and a blue member. This unique competition environment gives the participants the chance to understand, learn and analyse the different kind of Attack and Defence techniques by active playing the role of RED (Attacker) and BLUE (Defender) and in doing so find different kinds of flags based on different difficulty and earn points. [Switching roles between red/blue team member in the same team is allowed].
Knowing both the Attack/Defence methods and getting in that mindset ultimately prepares the participants for the real world where, there are lot of variables and unknown and they need to protect their network and assets against any network and cyber security threats possible.
Every team will be given jump machine and the details on how to access the Jump machine will be communicated once registered.
As the event is completely virtual – you will need the following:
- A modern browser, preferably Chrome or Firefox
- A microphone or headset
- An internet connection
Tools for the red and blue members would include:
- Kali Linux
- Target machines
- Next Generation Firewall
- SIEM – Monitoring Tool
- Realtime Scoring System
Questions?
Please contact: Sawan Singh sawan.singh@keysight.com
IT Network Systems Administration
The WorldSkills Australia IT Network Systems Administration competitions are aligned to the ICT Information and Communications Technology Training Package.
This project has been designed to test the skills of the IT Network Systems Administration competitors in a variety of different areas including:
- Client and Server Installation
- Network Administration
- Enterprise Server
- Group Policies
- Managing Users Accounts
- Documentation
The competition requires the competitors to create a network representing a small-to-medium enterprise using virtual machines using a hypervisor or physical devices (if available)
Key topics: WAN/LAN, firewalls, Network Operating Systems/Server, Network Administration.
Questions?
Please contact: Troy Pretty itnsa@outlook.com.au
Why should I enter?
Taking part in Regional Competitions offers participants huge benefits and opportunities. These include:
- Striving and being recognised for excellence
- Boosting your workplace skills and performance
- Demonstrating your potential to current and future employers
- Benchmarking your skills against others in your field
- Fast-tracking your career and developing skills such as time management and organisation skills
- Building your networking and communication skills through taking direction from industry peers, engaging with industry and peers and working alongside rivals
- Developing your commitment and responsibility through understanding and meeting competition criteria and requirements.
Am I eligible to enter?
To enter the Virtual Skills Competitions, applicants should
- Be undertaking studies towards a qualification at an Australian RTO/TAFE/University
- Undertaken/recently completed qualification at an Australian RTO/TAFE/University
“I wouldn’t be half the tradie that I am without WorldSkills Australia and their ongoing support for women in trades and skills. I started the next chapter of my life with WorldSkills Australia and since then have never looked back, they create a platform to showcase excellence at a regional, national and international level and I was fortunate to experience all three.
I have excelled in all aspects of life since competing in a WorldSkills Regional Competition whether it be through employment, buying a property or encouraging others to look at VET as a fantastic career pathway.”
MAXINE COLLIGAN
Silver Medal in Car Painting at the 2019 WorldSkills International Competition in Kazan