Local joinery champion tests his skills in China

Colac local Tom Neave has recently returned from China, where he trained with and competed against the best joinery students in China, in the lead up to possible selection for the world’s largest international skills competition in Russia next year.

Tom, a 21-year-old joiner, is employed by Spence Construction and attends Gordon TAFE. Along with 19 other apprentices and trainees representing 18 different skills, Tom is hopeful he’ll be selected to become a Skillaroo and represent Australia at the WorldSkills International Championships in Kazan, Russia, in August 2019.

WorldSkills China invited Tom to train for four days alongside China’s top joinery students in a mock competition in Guangzhou in the Guangdong province.  The competition required Tom to expand his technical capabilities, working closely with Chinese materials and concepts, which are very different from those used in Australia.

This unique and challenging opportunity taught Tom to compete at an elite level, while exposing him to an unfamiliar culture. He also met potential competitors ahead of the 2019 WorldSkills International Championships.

In July, Tom was invited to become a member of WorldSkills Australia’s Skills Squad, following his gold medal-winning success at the WorldSkills National Championships in Sydney in June. The championships saw more than 400 apprentices, trainees and other vocational students vying for the title of ‘National Champion’ in 50 skill categories.

Skills Squad members are now working with dedicated training managers towards selection as a Skillaroo, which will entitle them to travel to Russia to compete. The best young apprentices and trainees from more than 70 nations will compete in Kazan for the title of World Champion. Tom is working with training manager Tom Ryan from Ludbrooks Joinery in Brown Hill near Ballarat, who accompanied him to China.

The 20 Skills Squad team members have been selected from a broad range of trades and skills, including Car Painting, Cabinetmaking, Cloud Computing and Beauty Therapy.

WorldSkills Australia CEO Brett Judd said: “The Skills Squad members have been awarded some incredible opportunities, including the chance to train overseas or interstate. “The success of these young men and women will encourage other young people to start their own journeys towards skills excellence, with the next round of WorldSkills Australia regional competitions kicking off around the country.”

At the last international championships, held in 2017 in Abu Dhabi, Australia finished the competition in 10th position in the WorldSkills international rankings. Mr Judd said the goal in 2019 was to maintain and improve on the top 10 finish, and international training opportunities played a key role. “Training overseas gives the Skills Squad members the opportunity to identify their strengths and areas for improvement and work solidly on those in the lead-up to selection,” he said.

Mr Judd said WorldSkills Australia had been “committed to empowering excellence in young Australians since 1981”, and the national and international competitions continued to identify and celebrate outstanding young apprentices and trainees.

For more information visit www.worldskills.org.au