Bright stars chosen to show skills
A select group of Rockingham’s most talented trainees and apprentices have been chosen for the WorldSkills WA team.
The young adults are six of 60 WA students set to challenge the best in their fields at the World-Skills National Competition in Perth in September.
Training and Workforce Development Minister Kim Hames said the team was chosen from a field of 180 medal winners who took part in regional competitions last year.
Dr Hames said the competition included 40 categories as diverse as carpentry, retail butchery, floristry, fashion technology, vehicle painting and restaurant service.
Bertram 22-year-old Melissa Westwood, who was selected to compete in the fashion technology category, said she felt lucky.
“It is a great opportunity... especially with the media, networking and exposure opportunities,” she said.
The Polytechnic West student said the competition focused on the technical side of fashion and she hoped to impress judges with her quirky style and eye for detail.
“We get a set design that we have to slightly alter and then we have to pattern make it, cut it out and sew it,” Miss Westwood said.
“At the moment it is just all about practising my pattern-making and my sewing skills, making sure they are nice and sharp.
“I’ll start stressing in August.”
Oakford resident Carlin Bowen will be sharpening his knives ready to impress the judges with the perfect cut of meat when he competes in retail butchery.
The 20-year-old, who fell into the trade after becoming a clean-up kid at Byford Meats, said he was overjoyed to be selected.
“I wasn’t expecting it — it was a bit of a surreal feeling that I had reached that level of butchery and I had been offered to represent WA,” he said.
Having trained under a number of butchers and honed his skills, Mr Bowen said he was excited to see what sort of competition he would be up against.
“In the State competition we had to break down a whole lamb and a whole chicken and we were given set guidelines for certain cuts,” he said.
“It will be interesting to see what the Eastern States has to offer.
“In a way I’m a little bit nervous because they might blow me out the water.”
The competitors will battle for a spot in Team Australia, Skillaroos, to compete in the WorldSkills International Competition in Brazil next year.
REPRESENTATIVES
Alex Reid of Baldivis in the EEC fabrication category
Melissa Westwood of Bertram in Fashion Technology
Carlin Bowen of Oakford in retail butchery
Keilar Adam of Secret Harbour in VETiS electrotechnology
Luke Norman of Golden Bay in VETiS electrotechnology
Zayden Norris of Warnbro in VETiS metals and engineering
