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Paul Nails National Title

Local apprentice Paul Moloney is the toast of his workplace and his course at GippsTAFE this week, after winning his section of the National Work Skills competition in Brisbane.

By GippsTAFE - 11th June 2004 - Back to News

The cabinet maker and joinery fourth year apprentice, representing Victoria, proved the best in his section and took the title with his construction of an intricate and eye-catching door.

Paul, who completes his apprenticeship with Traralgon business Darling’s Precision Joinery in two months, may have an opportunity to represent Australia at the international World Skills competition, depending upon whether his section is one of those selected for the event in Finland next year.

For the moment, though, Paul and his employer Bill Darling are happy to see the national title come to the Latrobe Valley.

If anything, Bill and Paul’s GippsTAFE tutors were more delighted than Paul with their protégé’s efforts.

GippsTAFE’s Head of Building Studies, Ray Mason-Woods, said Paul’s win was a demonstration of the quality and skill of local tradespeople. "He’s a great kid and he has been well trained by Bill, his foreman Craig Bayley, who both also did their apprentice training with GippsTAFE, and the building department staff."

Bill Darling was surprised by the size of the World Skills competition and the standard of participants.

"It was a much bigger event than I thought it would be," he said. "There were more than 50 categories and about 600 competitors and there was a lot of interest in it. They had 42,000 people through the doors in Brisbane to have a look over the weekend."

In Paul’s section, the competitors had to make a door, following guidelines set out by the judges and completed over the three days of the event. Paul’s effort is a minor work of art, with two hinged mirrors a feature of the front, while the other side includes a series of intricate timber inlays.

He admits it was quite a difficult task. "It was pretty hard to get my head around it," he said. "We only had an hour to familiarise ourselves with the guidelines and the job and then they said go and we had to get into it."

After Paul’s success, Bill was thankful for the assistance from GippsTAFE. "They helped set up the regional event, which gave Paul a chance, and then supported him to get to Brisbane," he said. "Ray (Mason Woods) and Owen (Flahvin, Paul’s teacher) have just been terrific and they were delighted; they’ve already been over to congratulate Paul."

GippsTAFE had another apprentice take part in the competition, hairdresser Nikki Miller from Shear Perfection in Morwell. While Nikki didn’t win, with the title going to a fully qualified hairdresser from Sydney, Nikki said she was very happy to have made the final.

"It was a great experience, I got heaps out of it," she said.

Source: http://gippsland.com/

Published by: news@gippsland.com

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