WorldSkills Australia 
Where are they now? Digital Forensic Analyst Troy Pretty
Troy Pretty wanted a career in carpentry. However, when it was time to pick electives in Year 12, the student numbers meant they weren’t able to facilitate a woodworking class. So despite never having owned a computer, Troy enrolled in IT. After completing school and his VCE, Troy went straight into carpentry. Realising it wasn’t the right fit he went to his local TAFE and enrolled in IT.
Troy says he found himself in IT “not knowing what path that would lead down.” Play it forward… and Troy has spent the past eight years as a Digital Forensic Analyst, spending his time extracting, analysing, reconstructing and reporting on data contained within digital devices. In addition over the last three years, Troy has also undertaken a seasonal teaching position at Swinburne University as a lecturer of eForensic Fundamentals.
Troy was introduced to WorldSkills in 2001. “At the time I was a little unsure what it all meant and was a little sceptical about the fact I had to get up on a Saturday morning and travelling all the way out to Holmesglen TAFE but went along for the ride anyway – as they say, the rest is history,” shares Troy. From there Troy went on to become a Skillaroo and represent Australia at the 2003 International WorldSkills International Championships in St Gallen where he placed 6th and received a Medallion of Excellence.
On his experience as a Skillaroo, Troy shares that “every volunteer involved in WorldSkills Australia have dedicated so much of their time to help train and mentor competitors. At the time of the 2001 National Championships I was still a student so had a lot of support from the staff at Kangan, along with the previous judges and competitors. When I competed internationally, I was working part-time and despite no longer being a student at Kangan I was provided with the opportunity to attend Kangan on the days I wasn’t working to use their resources and equipment to train. I was very driven and determined to not only do well in the competition but to gain knowledge that would enhance my career.”
Troy’s journey with WorldSkills Australia has developed throughout the years starting as a competitor and in 2018 Troy has become an international Training Manager for the 2018/19 Skills Squad, training and mentoring his competitor in preparation for opportunity to become a Skillaroo and represent Australia at the 2019 WorldSkills International Championships that will take place in Kazan, Russia. Troy shares that “after returning from Switzerland in 2003 I had a strong desire to return the favour and volunteer my time as I felt I owed something for all the time others had offered to me.”
“Initially I started off as a competition writer and judge for the PC support category at both the regional and national level. During this time, I trained and mentored two gold and two silver medals at the National Championships. I loved the experience of the international so much that I decided to attend Shizuoka 2007 and Calgary 2009 as a part of the supporter’s tour, dragging my wife along for the ride. For the last 6 years, my focus has been on the Melbourne region. I have been a team leader at the last three WorldSkills Australia National Championships in Perth, Melbourne, and Sydney. I was the team leader for ARBS 2016 in Melbourne and have been on the committee for the WorldSkills Australia Melbourne region for the past three years and for the past 12 months I’ve taken on the role of committee Chair.WorldSkills in my household doesn’t end with just me. Despite never competing in WorldSkills herself, Hayley decided that WorldSkills was such a valuable organisation and after witnessing my passion and joy I had from being a volunteer, decided to get involved. She too has been a team leader for the Melbourne region for the last 6 years,” Troy explains.