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Indigenous Plumbing Team Challenge

The WorldSkills Australia National Competition hosted the inaugural Plumbing Team Challenge at Sydney Olympic Park. This event tested and showcased the skills and talent of young Indigenous plumbers from parts of remote and rural Australia over a 3 day competition.

A partnership project between WorldSkills Australia, RMIT University, Plumbing Trades Employees Union, RMIT University Ngarara Willim Centre for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People and Dusseldorp Skills Forum.

Over 3 exciting days of competition the teams of plumbers fabricated copper solar panels, installed facias and gutters with down pipes, connected hot water units and installed toilets – all skills and knowledge needed back in their communities.

The three teams were trained and mentored by Plumbing teachers Wayne Ellerton and Geoff Bird from RMIT University in Melbourne and are employed by the Plumbers Employees Union.

And the results were:

Gold: Tyrone Bloomfield & Alishia Ford
Silver: Jamsy Bellou & Peter Shepherd
Bronze: Wade McEwan & Ramone Watson

Other resources

Plumbing Connection Magazine features the Indigenous Apprentice Program – Autumn 2011  (292.47 kB)

Past Partners

UTS Institute for Sustainable Futures

In 2022 Dusseldorp Forum partnered with UTS Institute for Sustainable Futures to “collaboratively develop and promote thriving intergenerational community-led housing projects” in Australia, using demonstration projects as the primary vehicle, underpinned by the core principle of community self-determination.

Beenleigh Housing and Development Company Community Hub

BHDC Community Hub is an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander organisation that strives to support, enhance and transform the lives of local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families.

Logan Together

Logan Together is a 10-year community movement to grow children up well. It’s a collaboration between the community, service providers, community organisations, government partners and the business community to ensure Logan kids grow up as healthy and full of potential as any other group of Australian kids.