Careers Expo & WorldSkills 2025 Kick Off in Brisbane

The WorldSkills Australia 2025 National Championships & Skills Show has started in Brisbane, again featuring sign and graphics apprentices, sponsored by Visual Connections, and Try-A-Trade activities run in partnership with the Australian Sign & Graphics Association and TAFE Queensland.

The event dovetails with the co-located Brisbane Careers & Employment Expo, where the Sign & Print Career Connections team is promoting industry careers to students.

The supplier association continues its longstanding support for WorldSkills by funding the travel and accommodation costs for the sign and graphics students and their teachers to participate in the National Championships & Skills Show, which runs from today until Saturday at the Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre.

Visual Connections is also casting the new talent net more widely at the Careers Expo, with a range of on-stand activities run by industry volunteers designed to engage visitors and create the opportunity for conversations around the potential career opportunities in the print, sign and graphics sectors.

Karren Challoner-Miles, Executive General Manager of Visual Connections, says the skills competitions allowed Australia’s trainees and apprentices to test their skills and knowledge in their chosen field against their peers. “We’re excited to once again be partnering with WorldSkills Australia on the delivery of the 2025 competition, which aligns very closely with our values and an association and our commitment to supporting young people to take up careers in industry trades,” she says.

“It’s always exciting to meet the finalists in the sign and graphics category from around the country and to see them demonstrate their skills as part of the Skills Show at the National Championships.”
Visual Connections will also collaborate with ASGA and TAFE Queensland on the ‘Try-A-Skill’ activities for the Skills Show. It says this is an important activity for building engagement with young people and promoting careers in the print, sign, and graphics sectors.

Visitors can try their hand at car wrapping on one of the latest model electric vehicles from BYD Automotive under the guidance of the TAFE team and gain insights into the exciting range of careers in the sign and graphics sector.

“Every two years, the WorldSkills National Championships & Skills Show attracts school groups and senior students to explore trade careers,” Challoner-Miles explains.

“The Skills Show is an excellent opportunity for students to not only see demonstrations from some of the very best apprentices from around the country but also to try their hand at typical industry tasks. This year, it’s great to see the co-location with the Careers Expo, which provides visitors with the chance to find out more about industry careers and training opportunities at our Sign & Print Career Connections stand
 
 “It’s great to be involved in inspiring young people to explore career opportunities in the sign and graphics sector, and we are grateful to our partners at ASGA and TAFE Queensland and to all those who volunteered on the Sign & Print Career Connections stand, for sharing their expertise in this way.”

Registration for the combined event is free, and Challoner-Miles says it’s a rare opportunity to see trade apprentices in everything from hairdressing to carpentry and from dressmaking to graphic design demonstrate their skills side-by-side.

“It’s an amazing event, and I’d urge anyone who can to get along to the BCEC in the next couple of days, give some encouragement to the sign and graphics apprentices, and drop by the stand at the Careers Expo to see how we are promoting industry careers – I guarantee you’ll come away inspired and encouraged about the future of our sector.”