Empowering Skills Excellence with WorldSkills Australia

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I acknowledge the Ngunnawal and Ngambri peoples, the Traditional Owners of the land we’re meeting on.

I pay my respects to Elders past and present, and all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people joining us.

I also acknowledge my parliamentary colleagues who have come to support the WorldSkills Australia competitors.

It’s my pleasure to welcome to Parliament some of the Skillaroos who will be competing for Team Australia at the WorldSkills International – Sari, Gervase and Sebastian, as well as Paul, a WorldSkills mentor.

I also welcome the WorldSkills team as well as your many supporters.

It’s an enormous achievement to have made it through to the national team to compete in the WorldSkills International Competition.

The 32 passionate and talented Skillaroos heading to Lyon, France in September are doing Australia proud, as are your volunteer mentors.

Like everyone else here and your many supporters around Australia, I’m delighted to be cheering you on.

While plenty of airtime has been dedicated to the Olympians and Paralympians who are also travelling to France this year – like them, you have worked incredibly hard for this opportunity.

You have honed your skills, risen to the top and become the best in your chosen field.

And to the mentors, it is great to see you showcasing Australian skills and training in action through your work supporting the competitors.

From bricklaying to cyber computing, floristry to digital game art, fashion technology to mechatronics, competitors have showcased their excellence across a huge variety of industries.

And, just like our Olympians and Paralympians, I’m excited to see you show off these skills against competitors from across the world.

The WorldSkills Competition showcases Australian vocational education and training internationally and puts centre stage the Government’s mission: to continue strengthening our world-class VET sector.

The Skillaroos are the product – and walking proof – of the strengths of our VET sector.

You have all trained in a range of industries that are essential for the nation’s future - and gained skills that will be put to the test in France.

I wish you all the very best – as you meet and share your skills with other students, apprentices and trainees from all over the world.

And just maybe, the excellence you all clearly have will result in more Australian gold in Lyon, following on from the Games in Paris.

I hope you all have a great time, best of luck and bon voyage!