Empowering Skills Excellence
GOVERNMENT, INDUSTRY, AND NATION’S BEST YOUNG TALENT CAME TOGETHER TO CELEBRATE AUSTRALIAN SKILLS EXCELLENCE
Senior Canberra stakeholders were 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 updated advisors and other government officials on how Australia had been utilising the concept of skills excellence to promote the nation’s vocational education and training sector and address skills shortages.
The event was hosted by WorldSkills Australia, a social enterprise that passionately believe skills drive the future of young people and Australia. Three members of the 2024 “Skillaroos” team spoke to the crowd ahead of their trip to Lyon, France, where they would represent Australia in the WorldSkills International Competition. Paul Polverino from Axalta also spoke as part of the panel and provided firsthand perspectives and industry insights.
The event also included the unveiling of the 2024 Skillaroo uniform, which Team Australia would wear while in Lyon. The uniform’s design had been created by Indigenous artist Jacinta-Rai Ridgeway, who spoke at the event before Federal Minister for Skills and Training, The Hon. Brendan O’Connor MP, was presented with a framed shirt.
CEO Trevor Schwenke and Chair Kevin Harris articulated a compelling vision for advancing skills development. We were honored by the presence of distinguished members of Parliament, including Hon Susan Ley MP, Deputy Opposition Leader, and Hon Minister O’Connor MP, Minister for Skills and Training, who addressed the attendees.
Rachel Crawford, a member of the WorldSkills Champions Trust and past competitor, shared her inspiring journey, highlighting the transformative impact of WorldSkills Australia.
Throughout the evening, our partners engaged with Ministers at various activation areas, including AR Welding (Weld Australia), AR auto refinishing demonstration (Axalta ANZ), floral pin creation (Canberra Institute of Technology), Electrical Vehicle control board assembly (Canberra Institute of Technology), and copper piping assembly (Reece Group).
Networking opportunities buzzed throughout, fostering connections among partners and enthusiasts in the community. It was an evening that celebrated excellence, innovation, and the future of skilled professionals.
See more photos from the evening by clicking on the Flickr button below
We hosted a One Year Out event in Brisbane!
Earlier this month, WorldSkills Australia, alongside its partners and stakeholders, celebrated the one-year countdown to the 2025 National Championships in Brisbane. This event marked a significant milestone, sparking excitement and anticipation.
We are grateful to MP Corinne Macmillan, Assistant Minister for Education and Youth Justice, for joining us and expressing her enthusiasm for Brisbane's role as host of the National Championships. Her remarks, marking the return of the event after a 14-year hiatus, resonated deeply and set a tone of anticipation and high expectations.
We extend our heartfelt thanks to all our current partners who attended, especially Reece, Dermalogica, and Stabila, who participated as panel members. Their insightful contributions underscored the profound impact of our collaborations, reaffirming our shared dedication to achieving excellence in skills.
Special appreciation goes to TAFE Queensland and the Brisbane Careers & Employment Expo for their partnership and support in making the 2025 National Championships in Brisbane possible.
Here's to a year ahead filled with collaboration, innovation, and the pursuit of skills excellence!
COUNTDOWN ON FOR BRISBANE HOSTING RECORD BREAKING NATIONAL SKILLS COMPETITION
With just under 12 months until the 2025 WorldSkills Australia National Championships and Skills Show, host city Brisbane is preparing for the biggest iteration of the event in its 44-year history.
Co-located with the Brisbane Careers and Employment Expo, over 25,000 visitors are expected to attend the three-day celebration of Australia’s skills, trades, vocational education, and training industries. Visitors – predominantly high school students and their families – will be able to discover exciting future career opportunities through interactive events, demonstrations, and the opportunity to speak with employers and industry experts.
A highlight of the event, the 2025 WorldSkills Australia National Championships and Skills Show, will see the nation’s best young apprentices, trainees, and students competing in a series of high-pressure competitions designed to test and showcase their skills and abilities. Close to 60 skill categories will be represented in the Championships, including bricklaying, automotive mechanics, cyber-security, cookery, healthcare, and many more.
Those who win gold in Brisbane may be eligible for selection as a Skillaroo in Team Australia, who will take on the national champions from more than 65 countries at the 2026 WorldSkills International Competition in Shanghai.
Queensland’s skills sector has played a critical role in WorldSkills Australia’s 44-year history. The state is set to host the most competitions in this year’s Regional round, and 5 of the 33 Skillaroos heading to the French city of Lyon for the 2024 International Competition are Queenslanders.
WorldSkills Australia thanks the Queensland Government for its support of the 2025 WorldSkills Australia (WSA) National Championships and Skills Show.
The 2025 WorldSkills Australia National Championships and Skills Show will run between 12 -14 June 2025 at the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre. School and Visitor Registrations will open in September 2024.
Quotes attributable to Queensland Minister for Employment, Training and Skills Development Lance McCallum:
“It’s an exciting time to be a Queenslander! Our Big Build is a record investment of infrastructure and a decade of golden opportunity for our workforce to get in to good jobs with better pay.”
“We’re not just hosting a competition; we’re hosting the future–these future tradespeople are the ones who will shape Queensland’s industries and drive our economy forward.
“From Free TAFE and Apprenticeships to Free Tools for First Years and our new plan to subsidise training for over one million Queenslanders, there is no better place in Australia, let alone the world, to be a future tradie than Queensland.”
Quotes attributable to Trevor Schwenke, WorldSkills Australia CEO:
“Brisbane 2025 is on track to be the biggest and best National Championships and Skills Show we’ve ever staged. We have seen a huge positive response from the Queensland Government, TAFE QLD, the State’s skills sector, and our partners and we look forward to working with them to show visitors the exciting vocational career opportunities that are out there.
“The National Championships are such an exciting and vibrant event, for both competitors, volunteers and spectators. As our 2024 Skillaroos enter the final stage of training and preparation for Lyon in September, I can’t wait for Brisbane to reveal the 2026 Shanghai team.”
AUSTRALIAN SKILLS EXCELLENCE FORUM
Will be held in Adelaide and is supported by the South Australian Government, Skills Commission and Skill Sector Stakeholders!
The Australian Skills Excellence Forum serves as a dedicated pathway for individuals engaged with WorldSkills Australia, emphasising the importance of excellence in skills development and offering valuable industry insights to propel personal and professional growth. It provides a great opportunity for skilled individuals to expand their knowledge and network with industry professionals. The forum is a two day intensive forum consisting of a day focussed on skills excellence plus a day of personal and professional development. With participants travelling from across Australia, networking will be high on the agenda, as will focusing on small business development and levers of support. The up-skilling days will be held at several locations across Adelaide, including TAFE SA, Lot FOURTEEN, and MTA SA.
As a whole, the forum is an great collaborative opportunity highlighting the importance placed on skills by all the stakeholders in South Australia.
Help the Skillaroos Represent Australia
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Together, we are Making Our Mark
Young people around the world are using their skills to solve some of the most complex challenges of our time – from climate breakdown, to the digitisation of our industries, and widening gaps in social inequality.
#WeAreMakingOurMark brings together the voices and stories of inspiring individuals who are using skills for impact.
Read their stories at www.worldskills.org/making-our-mark and learn about how skills is changing our world.
VETASSESS and WorkinAUS – Connecting Skilled Trades People with Employers in Australia
At VETASSESS, we are committed to building the future of Australia’s workforce by providing skills assessments for 27 trade occupations. We have partnered with WorkinAUS to launch a recruitment online marketplace known as WorkinTrades to connect skilled trades workers with employers in Australia.
The program addresses Australia’s growing need for skilled trades people by assisting international skilled trades workers get their qualifications recognised, complete their skills assessment for migration purposes and find employment faster by simply submitting their resume online.
Whether you are an employer seeking international talent or a skilled migrant looking to start your career in Australia, find out how WorkinTrades can help you fill labour shortages and provide employment opportunities.
See photos from our 2024 Global Skills Challenge here:
VDC Conference - From Competence to Excellence - Strive to Inspire
Melbourne Exhibition & Convention Centre
15-16 August 2024
WorldSkills Conference 2024
WorldSkills Conference 2024 will take place from 11 to 12 September alongside the 47th WorldSkills Competition in Lyon, France.
2025 WorldSkills Australia National Championships
Brisbane Exhibition & Convention Centre
12-14 June 2025
Proud Partners - 2024 Regional Competitions
Proud Partners - 47th WorldSkills International Competition
Proud Supporters - Global Skills Challenge 2024
Interested? Get in touch with our Partnerships Team
