Skillaroos Set to Take on World's Best

feature >>> SEAN McGOWAN REPORTS Skillaroos set to take on world’s best While the nation’s sporting elite are busy preparing themselves for gold at the Beijing 2008 Olympics, another group of young elites were also in competition at last month’s ARBS Exhibition in Melbourne, writes Sean McGowan. Visitors to last month’s ARBS Exhibition are sure to have come across the WorldSkills Australia exhibition, which featured Australia’s best young refrigeration apprentices and trainees, who were all competing for the WorldSkills Australia national title in refrigeration. After two days of competition, in front of thousands of industry professionals, the national winner Nash Mason, apprentice to Hasties M&H Air Conditioning in Newcastle, is now set to compete on the world stage at the WorldSkills International competition to be held in Calgary, Canada next year. The Skills Olympics Established in 1981, WorldSkills Australia is a national, not-for-profit organisation that provides Australians aged 23 years and under with the opportunity to gain new skills, compete against peers in their chosen trade and fast track their skills and career development. Through a program of competitions aligned to National Training Packages, WorldSkills Australia works to ensure today’s young people have the skills and abilities to compete with the rapidly changing global marketplace. The organisation is a member of WorldSkills International Stephanie Bugg and Renee Ellen , former WorldSkills Gold Medalists – a global network of nearly 50 countries who participate in trade and skills competitions. Australian competitions received in Australia’s HVAC&R industry is second to From her early teens, Stephanie’s path seemed set, operate on a two year cycle, with regional competitions none. following in the footsteps of her father, who soon signed flowing into national competitions, with the winners her on as an apprentice in his own business. advancing to the international competition. Refrigeration is also one of the few categories where national competition is held outside of the WorldSkills “Since then, the attraction of the industry has only grown This July, Sydney will host the three-day WorldSkills National Competition, with the bi-annual ARBS on me,” she explains. Australia National Competition, which is expected to exhibition proving the perfect venue for the event to be “Being able to show up at a job with half a million dollars attract over 500 competitors across 50 different trade showcased to the rest of the industry. and skill categories, along with some 60,000 visitors worth of stock in a freezer that is starting to defrost or willing them on to success. Given the large amount of space the WorldSkills working on an operating theatre in a hospital that has Australia competition demands at ARBS however, it failed while they are operating shows the amount of Categories range from automotive mechanics and wouldn’t be possible without the excellent support the trust and responsibility that can be entrusted to me. It is cookery, through to electrical installation, meat retailing category receives from the industry, with Refrigerant a great feeling to know that my job, and this industry, is and welding. Reclaim Australia one of the category’s major financial so important to everyday life and that I am a part of that.” supporters. “The WorldSkills competitions show the rest of the Stephanie’s involvement with WorldSkills began in 1998, country what remarkable talent we have here and prove when she was approached by the regional chairman in that the future of skills and trades is worth investing in,” The past winner Toowoomba, Barbara Wuersching. At first reluctant to says WorldSkills Australia CEO Mark Callaghan. compete and sceptical about being watched and judged Stephanie Bugg is one of WorldSkills Australia’s most by so many people, Stephanie was eventually persuaded “In 20 years of international competition, WorldSkills impressive success stories. to compete in the regional competition. Australia has consistently ranked in the top 10 performing countries in the world. Today, we are ranked The 2001 international gold medal winner in the “Once I heard about the competition, and was able to fifth in the world and are the best performing English refrigeration category, Stephanie not only epitomises the get over my initial nerves, I was attracted to how it would speaking nation, thanks to some of our brightest young high level of expertise of our young industry members. give me a chance to develop and improve my skills and people, educators, and support from industries in skills challenge myself among other refrigeration mechanics Her interest in refrigeration goes back a long way, to the and trades.” from the region, with the possibility at the time to age of seven when her father Lloyd Bugg, a well-known compete nationally and internationally,” says Bugg, One of Australia’s more successful categories is refrigeration mechanic, introduced Stephanie to the admitting that she never contemplated the chance of refrigeration, which boasts four international gold principles of eutectic refrigeration when the family lived her competing internationally. medallists, proof that training and on-the-job experience on a property without power. www.hvacrnation.com.au June 2008 HVAC&R Nation 11 The podium finish left to right: David Restuccia, Nash Mason and Leigh Coffill After winning through to the national competition, Since winning in South Korea, Stephanie has worked “I first became involved in WorldSkills when I was Stephanie was chosen to represent Australia in for a number of different companies in Toowoomba, asked by my head teacher at TAFE to organise a college the refrigeration category at the 2001 WorldSkills broadening her knowledge and defining skills on competition as part of my TAA2 assessment to become a International Competition, held in Seoul, South Korea. equipment and systems she had had very little fulltime teacher,” John explained. experience of previously. “I competed against 17 countries, held over four very Since that time, his involvement with WorldSkills has stressful and exhausting days,” she recalls. She has also become a regional and national judge for continued to grow; now being in the roles of category WorldSkills, as well as becoming regional convenor, and convenor, designer and chief judge for the national The competition was made up of six separate tasks was on hand at ARBS last month, judging this year’s competition, as well as International chief expert for – split air conditioning installation; refrigeration fault group of talented youngsters. WorldSkills International in the refrigeration category. finding; electrical fault finding; cabinet installation; retrofitting of a HCFC system; and component According to Stephanie, winning the award has ultimately “A chief judge must be expert in the field of refrigeration fabrication. given her recognition and respect within the industry. and air conditioning, and also be involved in organising regional competitions, as well as designing both regional “We all sat down around a large table and were “There have been people throughout my career who and national competitions,” he explains. introduced to each other and our fellow experts – it was have been negative and judgemental but I think that “We are very fortunate in this category to have all past then that I appreciated the size of the competition. While you get some degree of that no matter what your competitors as judges,” he added. “These young people you are well briefed and trained before going overseas, gender or career path. The small amount of criticism I have all competed internationally, and four are past gold when you get there it really sinks in, and at that time have received has only made me strive to become better medal winners on the world stage.” my only aim was to do Australia proud and give 110% and strong at what I love to do,” she says. (effort).” “Being a refrigeration mechanic for me is more than just Such is the level of respect and recognition of past WorldSkills achievers, that these young judges are either During the four days of competition, Stephanie was a job. It is a passion that I will continue to follow for many running their own businesses, or have been promoted to introduced to a range of emotions, with the pressure of years to come.” prominent positions in their respective companies. having the past two gold medal winners of the category also coming from Australia, ensuring that even more The international “There is a great sense of personal satisfaction in being attention was on Stephanie to perform. involved with WorldSkills. My highlights have been chief expert to present at the gold medal presentation overseas, “That, and the fact that I was the first female competitor knowing I’ve had some role to play in the achievement The satisfaction of watching talented young people to compete at an international level in the refrigeration of the last three medallists,” recalls John. category,” she quickly adds. achieve their best is what attracted John Kuilart to WorldSkills Australia back in 1993, and it seems his With Australia currently ranked fifth overall worldwide Following the competition, the medal presentation passion for the program has never waned. and considered one of the leading nations in skills proved a surreal experience for Stephanie. excellence in refrigeration, the focus on our international Having been involved in commercial refrigeration representatives at WorldSkills competitions

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