CLUNES bricklayer Paul Coon is preparing to show off his trade skills on the international stage.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The past couple of years have been huge for the 21-year-old. In 2015, Mr Coon competed in the Regional Bricklaying Competition and upon competing in it again in 2017, he took home gold.
After this achievement, Mr Coon was invited to compete at the 2018 WorldSkills National Championships in Sydney, from which he took home a bronze medal.
Following this success, Mr Coon applied to join the Skills Squad - a team of training managers and competitors who trained for a number of months, including for a week in China, in the lead up to the Global Skills Challenge.
Mr Coon was successful at the Global Skills Challenge, winning gold, and was selected to be part of the Australian team to compete at the WorldSkills International Competition in Kazan, Russia, in 2019.
He was selected as one of 15 young male and female competitors, or skillaroos, from around Australia to represent the nation at the international skills event. They will be accompanied by a team of 25 experts and officials.
As part of his training, Mr Coon and his experts were invited by other WorldSkills nations to compete in training events. Mr Coon flew to Russia late last week to train for the upcoming 45th WorldSkills International Championship in Kazan.
The skillaroos, who are all aged between 19 and 22 years old, represent a wide range of trades and skills.
The majority of competitors are representing in skills that align with the National Skills Needs list, including Cloud Computing, Electrical Installations, Plumbing, Heating and Graphic Design.
Chief Executive Officer of WorldSkills Australia, Brett Judd, said the competitors, their trainers and mentors had consistently shown the dedication, commitment and excellence required of Team Australia to represent the nation against the best in the world.
"The WorldSkills experts have been selected because they represent the best of their industry or skill category. They are also passionate about helping develop their industry and young competitors," Mr Judd said.
He said WorldSkills Australia was nurturing and developing the skills of young Australians to highlight the opportunities available to those who pursue a trade or skill.
These young people are excelling in their chosen fields and many have already been rewarded with international experience and opportunities - their training and skills are really taking them places.
- Brett Judd
The 2019 WorldSkills International Championship will see 1600 young people from 60 different countries to compete in 56 skill championships.
Three other Victorians have been chosen to compete, including Andrew Brown for cloud computing, Thomas Neave for joinery and Patrick Keating for plumbing and heating.
The 45th WorldSkills International Championship will take place in Kazan, Russia from August 22-27 with more than 250,000 spectators expected to attend.
Australia currently sits 10th on the WorldSkills rankings and is this year hoping for a top five finish.
