NSW & VIC Signage Apprentices win at WorldSkills

L-R Caitlin Wilson Prowraps and Graphics, Penrith, Sydney; Elizabeth Gasparini RMG Signs, Geelong;  Lauren Green Impression Signs & Designs, Rosebud; Robyn Frampton, Visual Connections

The country’s best Sign & Graphics apprentices travelled to Melbourne to compete in the WorldSkills Australia National Championships at the Melbourne Convention & Exhibition Centre, sponsored by supplier association, Visual Connections.

Six apprentices, who hailed from Melbourne, Sydney and Perth, performed various tasks from vehicle wrapping to channel letter fabrication over three days of competition from 17 – 19 August, impressing judges with skill and enthusiasm.

Caitlin Wilson from Prowraps and Graphics in Penrith, Sydney, won the Gold Medal. Elizabeth Gasparini from RMG Signs in Geelong placed second, winning a Silver Medal, and Lauren Green from Impression Signs & Designs in Rosebud was awarded the Bronze. The last three competitors were Shian van Montfoort and Tom Minchew from Sydney and Hannah Thompson-Taylor from Perth.

The WorldSkills Australia National Championships is the culmination of the WorldSkills Australia 2023 program which champions and promotes excellence in more than 50 trades and skills, putting entrants’ knowledge, practical skills and employability to the test. The competition starts at the grassroots level in thirty-four regions around Australia, with winners progressing to State finals and then competing at the National level. Selected winners from these National Finals will advance to the international finals, travelling with the team of ‘Skillaroos’ to Lyon in France in 2024.

The competition was co-located with the Victorian Careers Expo.  Visual Connections / ASGA education initiative introduced young people to the sign, print and graphics industry. ‘Try a Skill’ activities were led by TAFE teachers and industry experts and supported by careers advisors from Australian Schools Industry Partnership (AusSIP), who provided information on careers and training. A steady stream of students took part in the activities, making their own “Signs & Graphics” poster, and many registered their interest in finding out more.