A Wagga beauty therapist is training to take on the world’s best in Russia next year and chosen among 23 young Australians in the Skills Squad team.
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The second employee from Skin Solutions beauty clinic to compete in the international competition, 21 year old Gorgia Maliukaetau, said she is on a “high” after winning nationals in beauty therapy last month.
“Nationals was the most surreal experience, but now it’s time to get into the hard work and train,” she said.
“I will utilise everything up at TAFE, organise my clients to train and I’ll stay behind after work and come in on my days off; it’s very time consuming, but I’m excited.”
Ms Maliukaetau is now working towards representing Australia at the world’s biggest skills excellence competition, in Kazan, Russia, in August 2019.
The best young apprentices and trainees from more than 70 nations will compete in Kazan for the title of World Champion.
The Skills Squad team members, aged between 17 to 23, will spend the next 10 months working with a training manager to develop their skills.
Ms Maliukaetau will work with Naomi Zadow, a beauty teacher from TAFE NSW who has entered three students in WorldSkills National and they have earned two gold and one bronze collectively.
“Naomi helped me to train for nationals and she’s impeccable, her knowledge just never stops,” she said.
“Working at Skin Solutions and alongside Lily a past international medalist, who won bronze last year in Abu Dhabi, I’m just exposed to so many things that other competitors might not be.”
Ms Maliukaetau said being a beauty therapist is a rewarding occupation.
“In the salon it’s just building that rapport with clients, especially when you’re working with people’s skin it can become very personal and wanting to improve people’s skin journey really hikes up their confidence and that’s the best part,” she said.
Skills Squad team members have been selected from a broad array of trades and skills, ranging from traditional trades such as bricklaying and cabinetmaking to skills of the future including cloud computing and IT network systems administration.
The team of 23 includes five females in the trade/skill areas of 3D digital game art, car painting, beauty therapy, fashion technology and graphic design technology.
WorldSkills Australia CEO Brett Judd said many of the skills being represented are in the skills shortage areas.
“For WorldSkills to have outstanding competitors in these areas is very encouraging and an absolute credit to the competitors, their training providers and employers,” Mr Judd said.
Mr Judd congratulated them on their selection as a Skills Squad team member and said they would need to show dedication, commitment and excellence to be chosen to represent Australia in Russia.
“It’s wonderful to see the opportunities these young people are being given through their trades and skills,” he said.
