A team of tradies are showcasing their skills at a national competition. Photo: Keeli Dyson.
Illawarra tradies-in-training will showcase their expertise in everything from bricklaying to baking on the national stage as they represent the region at the WorldSkills competition.
A team of 14 TAFE students from the region are bound for Brisbane to face off against hundreds of competitors in a diverse range of skills and talents they’ve developed through their studies and the workforce.
Competitors will be put through the wringer to prove their ability in their field by undertaking a number of industry specific tasks over the three-day event in hope of claiming gold.
For welder Shaun Meinecke the competition is a unique experience, with the trade not offering many opportunities to participate in similar tournaments.
“This is really the only competition,” he said. “We’ve got competitiveness at work and stuff; as welders you want to be better than everyone, and this is a chance to show you are better than everyone.”
He said his broad range of skills could help give him a competitive edge.
“I’m hoping to take home a gold medal,” Shaun said. “My strengths is probably all the different types of welding I can do; not many people can do all the different types so I’m confident in my ability.”
But the experience is as much about development as it is about victory.
“You definitely learn about your time management and things for when you’re at work, that helps, and even being social with everyone up there is good for work as well,” Shaun said.
Graphic designer and sign maker Devante Teahuru has already seen real-world benefits of his work and dedication.
“All the training that we’ve been doing have definitely improved me as a signwriter and I can only grow from here,” he said.
“I think WorldSkills will definitely show my weaknesses and strengths and really push me to my limits.”
WorldSkills competitors Shaun Meinecke, Devante Teahuru and Lilly Tasker.
That training has been vital for him to master the intricacies of his craft, which may not be immediately evident to someone not in the field.
“I had to do a lot of research especially when it comes to vehicle wraps, a lot of training in understanding how the wrap vinyl moves and cutting techniques,” Devante said.
“For acrylic fabrication it’s similar, knowing how much heat to put into your acrylic and bending it; just a lot of measurements as well.”
“Then with graphic designing there’s a lot of experience knowing what colours work, what fonts to use and get that harmony and balance.”
The hidden complexities of these individual industries are being brought to the surface through the diversity of the Illawarra’s team.
Florist Lilly Tasker has been impressed by learning and watching the skills of her teammates, while also being able to showcase her own talents.
“Everyone’s so different in what they do,” she said. “And you just don’t realise what everyone does until you really look at it and they explain.
“No one really understands floristry; they just think you whack a few flowers together and it’s so pretty, but it’s so much more.”
“It really is art.”
Lilly started her own business, Lil Floral Cove, earlier in the year so that she could express her own style in the floristry industry and pave her own path, and hoped her experience at WorldSkills could improve her offerings and workshops to the community.
“Either way the experience is going to make you better, it’s going to make you more competitive and it’s going to open your eyes to more creativity,” Lily said.
Team leader Mathew McGlashan said the Illawarra’s representation across a large number of categories including areas such as hairdressing, carpentry, bricklaying, painting and mechanical engineering demonstrated the vast range of skills of the local talent and the quality of the training and opportunities in the area.
“It shows that locally in the Illawarra that we are really diverse and we’re really good at what we do,” he said.
“The region really supports the apprentices and trainees and everyone coming through, especially with the TAFE, the training is pretty first-class.”
In previous years, Illawarra has won a number of gold, silver and bronze medals at the national championships with some entrants going on to represent the country as part of the Skillaroos on the international stage.
Mathew is confident this team can replicate that success.
“These guys have put in a lot of hard work and I think we’ll see the results,” he said.
“They’re the best at what they do and they’ve put the hard yards in and trained a lot.”
The WorldSkills National Championship and Skills Show will run 12 to 14 June in Brisbane.
For more information on the competition and previous results visit the WorldSkills Australia website.
