After months of preparation across the nation, a team of 15 young apprentices and trainees will soon represent Australia at the upcoming 45th WorldSkills International Championships. The championship will be held in Kazan, Russia this August 22-27, where an anticipated audience of 250,000 will watch competitors from 66 countries compete for gold, silver and bronze medals and the title of world champion in their skill.
The Skillaroos are WorldSkills Australia’s international team. They will compete against top skilled representatives from across the world, including: United States, United Kingdom, New Zealand and China.
If you want to support our spray painting champion Maxine Collaghan then send her a message of encouragement on her Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/MaxineSkillaroo/
The 2019 team hail from various Australian towns and cities, and will be supported by world-renowned experts, education institutes and industry in their particular skill areas.
It has been a year since the national competitions and the team has been training hard to get ready for their global debut. From the early stages of the competition, experts are assigned as training managers for competitors and accompany the Skillaroos to the international competition. They also are judges for competitors in their particular skill (the 2019 ‘experts’ are listed below after each Skillaroo team member).
The 2019 Skillaroos and Team Australia are:
• Andrew Brown (Cloud Computing), Melbourne – Jeffrey Nugent (Deputy Chief Expert), Melbourne.
• Anthony Cobb (Electrical Installation), Central QLD – Joshua Kleinig (Expert), Macquarie.
• Anthony Ters (Automobile Technology), Sydney – John Francis (Expert), Ballarat.
• Clinton Larkings (Industrial Mechanics Millwright), Macquarie – Peter Buttenshaw (Chief Expert), Illawarra.
• Courtney New (Fashion Technology), Sydney – Donna Drain (Chief Expert), Illawarra.
• Christopher Matkowski (Cookery), Sydney – Ianthe Smith (Expert), Sydney.
• Joshua Boon (Cabinetmaking), Tasmania – Jai Maluga (Expert), Tasmania.
• Maxine Colligan (Car Painting), Sydney West – Bradley Franklin (Deputy Chief Expert), Sydney.
• Hayden Dillon (Carpentry), Sydney West – Allen Hill (Deputy Chief Expert), Sydney West.
•Indy Griffiths (Graphic Design Technology), Sydney – Brendan Hibbert (Expert),Perth.
•Nathan Kettle (Jewellery), Sydney – Jyothi Collins (Expert), Illawarra.
•Patrick Brennan (Refrigeration and Air Conditioning), South West QLD – Carl Balke(Expert), Brisbane.
•Patrick Keating (Plumbing & Heating), Central Victoria – Andrew Whalan (Expert),Illawara.
•Paul Coon (Bricklaying), Ballarat-Wimmera – Troy Everett (Chief Expert) IllawarraEric Davis (Compariot Support Expert), Brisbane.
•Thomas Neave (Joinery), Geelong – Thomas Ryan (Expert), Ballaratt.
Chair of WorldSkills Australia, Kevin Harris, said “WorldSkills Australia has a critical leadership role in the development and promotion of excellence of Australia’s skills, particularly now as Australia responds to global competition in the 21st Century and the challenges of the Industry 4 revolution.
“WorldSkills Australia is an amazing organisation led by a volunteer governance board and a small but very dedicated executive team. WorldSkills is powered by thousands of volunteers and contributing Australian enterprise and industry association partners, training institutes and government. All demonstrate in real terms, their passion and commitment to the purpose of WorldSkills Australia, the development and promotion of skills excellence,” Harris said.