Mark Callaghan's Welcome

Two weeks to go!

In eight days’ time, the 2013 Team Australia Skillaroos will board a plane bound for Germany to compete in the ‘world games of skills’ - the 42nd WorldSkills International Competition, Leipzig. The competition will be their biggest career challenge to date and will place the spotlight firmly on their skills in front of an international audience.

The Skillaroos are set to compete against competitors from up to 65 Member countries/regions and in front of an expected audience of 200,000. This is not to mention the millions of fans, followers, parents and friends who will be tuning into the competition via the web.

As with all WorldSkills International Competitions, the competition is not the only highlight of the six-day festivities. Team Australia will also participate in events such as the Leipzig Excursions, One School One Country, Worlds of Discovery and the Opening and Closing Ceremonies. Each of these contributes to the overall atmosphere and experience of the competition. WorldSkills Australia will be delivering the highlights from all aspects of Leipzig 2013. Read about how you can receive daily information below…

Read full article.

Stay up-to-date with WSA

The WSA Media Team will once again be delivering all the daily action from the competition at the click of a button! Be a part of the experience right from your desk or mobile device. 

Website
The WorldSkills Australia website is your one-stop-shop for all things Leipzig. WSA will be posting daily news articles, videos and more.

Photos & videos
Daily videos and image galleries will be uploaded to the WorldSkills Australia YouTube channel and Flickr account. Filter through to find your favourite competitors. Make sure to share them with your family and friends.

All photos published by WorldSkills Australia on Flickr are available for download.

NewsFlash 
Your daily dose of the International Competition will be delivered straight to your inbox daily. Look out for the WSA news blast starting July 3rd. 

Social media 
See the action unfold through social media. Follow WSA on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for regular updates and more. WSA will be on deck to deliver blow-by-blow results direct from the Closing Ceremony.

The Closing Ceremony will commence at 07:30PM CEST in Leipzig (or 03:30AM AEST).

HASHTAGS to look out for…
#skillaroos #leipzig2013 #worldskills #wsa #worldskillsaustralia

BBM Skilled Futures Program

On Sunday 16th of July, 16 young men and women departed Sydney International Airport to participate in what has been described by many as a “once in a lifetime experience.” The BBM Skilled Futures Program offers WorldSkills Australia National Competition gold medallists the opportunity to travel to Wales, United Kingdom, to participate in a two-week leadership course followed by international work experience.

The 2013 BBM Skilled Futures Program team were selected after their medal winning performances at last year’s 2012 WSA National Competition held in Sydney. The team were sent off in style with a Farewell Function held at the Mercure Hotel in Sydney on Saturday the 15th. 

Over the course of the two-week program, recipients will face a series of mentally and physically challenging team activities including a sinking ship simulator, mountain biking and trekking. Another important component of this course is the Strength Deployment Inventory, a self-assessment tool which will analyse the behaviours and personalities of each team member.

2014 National Comp – EOI to Design

WorldSkills Australia is seeking Expressions of Interest from people wishing to pursue the voluntary role of designing competition projects that are used for the 2014 WorldSkills Australia National Competition.

We encourage interest from people equipped with the following essential criteria:

• Relevant industry experience
• Participation in recent WSA competitions
• Knowledge of industry training
• Knowledge of current training packages
• Ability to work in a team
• Current knowledge of industry standards
• High level communication skills
• Current trade/industry involvement

Please complete the Expression of Interest form no later than 16 July, 2013.

Giant Steps Plumbing Project

WorldSkills Australia, TAFE NSW and BBM Ltd have once again collaborated to deliver the innovative and community focused, Giant Steps Plumbing Project. The Gladesville based, Giant Steps, is an educational centre for children and young adults with autism.

Located at the old Gladesville Hospital site, Giant Steps was developed by a group of parents who wanted to build an institute where therapy and education could be combined in a supportive and understanding environment. They have been able to achieve incredible results whilst also providing emotional and educational support to families.

Read full article.

Bundaberg Jobs and Skills Expo

The Jobs and Skills Expos are currently being held across the country as part of the Australian Government’s Building Australia’s Future Workforce package. The expos connect job seekers with training institutes, local businesses, government agencies and community groups. The aim of the program is to provide communities with information about jobs, careers and training pathways.

On May 23rd Russell Routledge, 2011 Team Australia Skillaroo, Sheet Metal Technology competitor and business owner, spoke at the Bundaberg Jobs and Skills Expo in front an audience of over a thousand. Russell spoke highly of the experience and looks forward to speaking at more Jobs and Skills Expos in the future: “It was a great expo! I had an excellent time and met lots of people. By the time I left, over 1,000 people had come through the venue and I spoke to as many as I could, encouraging them to take up a skill or trade.”

Click here for more information about Jobs and Skills Expos.

What's On

There are a number of regional events happening across Australia in June and July. Make sure to check out WorldSkills Australia website to view the full listing.

TRY'ASKILL / TRY'ATRADE

21st June - Try'aSkill - Newcastle, Eastlakes & Westlakes (Newcastle & Hunter Region)
18th July - Try'aTrade - Sunshine Coast Daily Careers Expo
23rd July -  Construction Skills Queensland Try’aTrade Roadshow - Logan Careers Expo

REGIONAL COMPETITIONS

30th June - Cookery Competition (Perth North & South Region)
22nd July - Hairdressing Competition (Wide Bay Region)
29th July - Beauty Care Competition (Wide Bay Region)
 

Volunteer of the Month

Congratulations Greg Fahey

WorldSkills is an extremely fortunate organisation to have such an extensive cohort of volunteers who generously give their time to our program of events. Greg Fahey’s ongoing support for regional, national and international events is a perfect example of the level of commitment our volunteers have for making the WSA mission a reality.

Read full article.

Sponsors Highlight - Team Bus

WorldSkills Australia would like to extend a huge thank you to everyone that donated towards the 2013 Team Australia Skillaroos Team Bus Campaign. We collectively raised $13,000 which has been allocated to send the team’s three tonnes of tools to Germany for the 42nd WorldSkills International Competition in Leipzig.

Thank you to the following supporters who generously donated; Exclusive Auto Centre, Pamela Hackett, Catherine Meale, Dale and John Cox, Judy Buckley, Helen Smith, Fiona Butler, Jarrad Langdon, David Leek, Millie Carnes, Tjerk Dusseldorp, Philippa Esdaile, Doug Strachan, Tim Annetts and Angus Sweet.

We want to hear from you!

This newsletter is about the WorldSkills community, so we would like to hear from you. If you would like to spread your news across Australia contact: Ana Raica (araica@worldskills.org.au) at the National Office.