Third year Signage apprentice Kiara Sawtell is off to Western Australia in September for the National Signage Worldskills competition. Having already won the regional WorldSkills contest (and also Apprentice of the Year in 2013 from both the Group Training Association and MyGateway); Kiara qualified for the Nationals while serving her apprenticeship at Signarama, Bankstown, NSW where she works.
She attends the South Western Sydney Institute of TAFE, where she is instructed by Sign Industry Teacher, Rob Hardy.
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| Kiara with the tools from Spandex |
Spandex was approached to sponsor the tools-of-trade and a toolbox for Kiara and was delighted to agree. Marketing Manager Nathan Barclay says: “It’s so good to see that people like Kiara, starting off in the industry, are taking the initiative to go as far as they can and expand their skillset. This is exactly what is needed and it gives us great pleasure to support her entry into the national WorldSkills competition.”
WorldSkills Australia is part of a global organisation, headquartered in The Netherlands, dedicated to improving and sharing vocational skills worldwide. The 2014 WorldSkills Australia National Competition will be held at Perth’s Convention and Exhibition Centre between the 18th and 20th of September. With over 17,000 square metres of competition and exhibition space, there will be plenty of exciting and interactive activities covering every imaginable vocational skill.
The three day event will showcase the skills of 500 of Australia’s best trainees, apprentices and students competing for the prestigious title of ‘Nation’s Best’ in over 50 skill and trade areas ranging from the traditional trades such as Plumbing, Bricklaying and Hairdressing to the more contemporary professions of Web Design, Fashion Technology and of course the increasingly digital world of Signage, which is a sub-category under Building & Construction. Winners of National categories can go on to compete at the International WorldSkills competition, due to be held in São Paulo, Brazil in August 2015.
In preparation for her trip to Perth, Kiara was presented with her tools and toolbox by Nathan Barclay at her workplace, Signarama Bankstown, saying: “I’d like to thank Spandex for believing in me and I promise to give my best at the National WorldSkills competition. I enjoy my trade along with all the challenges I am faced with and I haven’t stopped learning since the day I entered Signage.”
Asked about her future, Kiara says: “I finish my apprenticeship in January next year, so that is my first goal. In the long term I would like to operate my own sign business. I’m really excited about heading over to Perth for the WorldSkills finals.”
Spandex Asia Pacific
www.spandex.com.au
