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PLUMBING CONNECTION
WINTER 2016
JUMPSTARTING PLUMBING CAREERS
I
n early October 500 young apprentices, trainees and
students across many trades and professions will
descend on Melbourne Showgrounds, each ready to hone
and prove their skills in front of over 40,000 spectators at
the 2016 WorldSkills Australia national competition.
Among those spectators will be school children
considering their future career options who will be given the
opportunity to learn more about trades such as plumbing
from experienced industry professionals ready to share
their knowledge.
To get an idea of the scale of the competition there will
be 300 judges, 100 volunteers and $10 million worth of
material including eight tonnes of steel, 10km of cabling,
80 mannequin heads, 600kg of flour and over 3000 flower
stems.
But organisers remind us that it isn’t just a competition
as visitors will have the opportunity to try their hand at
over 50 trade and skill-based professions such as vehicle
painting, bricklaying, hairdressing, programming, cookery
and wielding with the Try’a Skill program.
18 plumbing apprentices, trainees and students
qualified to partake in this years’ national competition by
winning events such as a crimping speed test that saw
contestants crimping a copper pipe into a specific shape.
Competitions were held in regional towns all around the
country.
At the national competition contestants will partake in
challenges such as the fabrication of a simulated basic
bathroom and laundry fit out, including hot, cold and rain
water, gas, solar hot water and waste services.
Alternatively they may have to install and commission
a hot water system, shower, laundry tub, bayonet fitting
and rainwater tank although specifics of the test will be
confidential until the competition day.
Here are four young Aussie plumbers that will compete in
this year’s competition.
BRANDON MULDOON, MELBOURNE AUSTRALIA
21 year old Brandon Muldoon has been interested in
plumbing since high school and admits it has lived up to his
expectations.
“Because we focus on the maintenance side of plumbing,
every single day is different,” Brandon says.
“I also like the problem solving that goes hand in hand with
the maintenance work.”
After studying at RMIT he is now employed by Mitchell
Shire Plumbing with plans to own his own business and says
the license within the plumbing trade gives him a sense of
comfort.
“Plumbing will always be needed, as long as humans need
water and clean waste disposal plumbers like me will be
there.”
Brandon is adaptable to the changes in the future of the
plumbing industry and is looking forward to seeing where
the industry is heading.
“New products and materials change the effect on the
environment, time efficiency, availability and costs, just to
name a few,so it’ll be exciting in the years to come to see
how the trade will adapt to this.”
AUSTRALIANS STARTING TRADE APPRENTICESHIPS HAVE DROPPED BY ALMOST 20% SINCE LAST YEAR.
WORLDSKILLS AUSTRALIA AIMS TO PROMOTE TRADE CAREERS BY GIVING YOUNG AUSSIES OPPORTUNITIES
TO LEARN AND SHOWCASE TRADE RELATED SKILLS AT THE LARGEST TRADE SHOWCASE AND COMPETITION IN
AUSTRALIA.
JOE YOUNG
REPORTS.
WORLDSKILLS
Brandon Muldoon, Melbourne Australia.