A LOCAL landscaper will test out his paving skills against the best in Australia next month.
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This year Jackson Bramley is hoping to better his bronze medal from the last WorldSkills Australia National Competition, which covers all trades, from bricklaying to jewelling.
“It’s opened heaps of doors for me – you meet so many people who can help you with your trade,” Mr Bramley said.
He will be challenged to craft a sandstone courtyard in less than 21 hours.
He said there were some misconceptions about landscape construction, with people often underestimating the cost of materials and assuming his work was “gardening”.
He said greenery was part of his job, but more often he was paving and building retaining walls – something he was also unaware of before starting his apprenticeship.
Mr Bramley said a love of the outdoors prompted him to pursue his landscape construction career.
“I’ve always been outdoorsy – the classroom environment was not my kind of thing.”
Kane Girard and Krystal Cagney won their regional events in auto electrical and cookery respectively and will join Mr Bramley to compete at the national event in Perth.
Though 95 per cent of people think a vocational career is something to aspire to, WorldSkills chief Mark Callaghan said there is a “disconnect” where they do not take the next step by starting an apprenticeship.
He said people were unsure how to get qualified in trades and unfair pressure from teachers, careers advisors and parents could make young people feel they had to go to university in order to be a success.
The biennial WorldSkills Australia National Competition will be held in Perth from September 18 to 20.