Introduction
Louise Azzopardi is a qualified Heavy Vehicle Mechanic turned trainer and assessor but her journey is not as simple as that statement.
Deciding what she wanted to do was pretty tricky. She had always known that she didn’t want to continue onto year 11 and 12, but leaving school for an apprenticeship was not encouraged.
She persisted in finding an apprenticeship anyway, defying suggestions from those around her. After weeks of work experience she finally secured an apprenticeship, and so began her journey.
About
Qualifications
- Certificate of proficiency in Heavy Commercial Vehicle Mechanical Technology - January 2016
- Cert IV in Automotive Mechanical Diagnostics - November 2015
- Automotive Electrical Skill Set For Light Vehicle Technicians - August 2016
- Cert IV in Training and Assessment - October 2018
- Cert III in Mobile Plant Technology - December 2018
WorldSkills
In 2016, while Louise was completing the 4th year of her apprenticeship, her mentor put her forward to compete in the 2015 regional Heavy Vehicle Mechanical competition which was held in the Illawarra. She competed in September and came second in the event.
This lead her to be the first female to compete in the Australian National Heavy Vehicle competition in Melbourne October 2016. Louise was then the first Female to ever receive a Gold Medal in the category.
The following year she trained hard to compete in the, 2017 Abu Dhabi International Competition. In October she headed to Abu Dhabi with the Skillaroos and took out 4th place in her category and Australia ranked 10th overall.
Her position has now changed from competitor to judge. She has judged at the 2018 Sydney National WorldSkills Competition, and has been Chief Judge at the Regional WorldSkills Competition at the National Construction Convention, November 2018.
Louise is currently preparing for the 2020 National WorldSkills competition in her position as National Chief Judge for Heavy Vehicle Mechanics.
Ambassador
Louise enjoys spreading the word about organisations that have supported and encouraged her along the way. She wants to let other people know about these so they can take advantage of the services and opportunities they offer. Some of theses include -
-SALT (Supporting and Linking Tradeswomen)
-TAFE NSW
-Australian Apprenticeship Ambassador
https://www.australianapprenticeships.gov.au/ambassador/louise-azzopardi
-WorldSkills
https://www.worldskills.org.au/competitors/louise-azzopardi/
Mentoring
Louise has recognised the importance of mentoring throughout her journey and wants to pass on that support in as many ways as she can. Some of these have included:
-Online mentoring through social media
-Mentoring for WorldSkills competitors
-Mentoring through the ISMAA program
If you feel that you will benefit from any advice that Louise has to give please contact her via email.
Training
Since Louise has joined the SALT group she has started to do some basic training. She has trained numerous basic tool workshops as stand alone events as well as part of the SALT tours in rural areas. She has also trained basic Automotive Skills workshops and hopes to make this a regular thing in the future.
Louise is now employed as a Heavy Vehicle and Plant Mechanic Trainer and Assessor for WesTrac NSW/ACT.
Speaking
After completing a Toast Master workshop as part of 2016 RYLA (Rotary Youth Leadership Awards) Louise's confidence to public speak has grown immensely allowing her to share her story far and wide. Some of the places she has shared her story are:
- WesTrac International Women's Day event 2020
- RYLA - February 2020
- Breakout speaker at the 2019 SALT Trades Women Conference
- WesTrac Apprentice On-boarding - February 2019, 2018
- Rotary Youth Vocational Awards - September 2018
- Rotary Inspirational Women's Awards - August 2018
- Rotary District 9685 Assembly - April 2018
- Key note speaker at the Trades Women Australia Conference - March 2018
- Rotary District Conference 9675 - March 2018
- RYPEN (youth camp)- August, April 2018
- RYLA - January 2018
- Opening of Transport Technology Centre - November 2016
- Cummins South Pacific Apprentice on-boarding - February 2016
- Careers Adviser Conference - May 2016
- Rotary Club Inspirational Speaker - 2016 - current
- St Mary's -Wetherill Park - Winsdor - Penrith Vally - Beecroft - Upper Blue Mountains
- Wahroonga - Hills/Kellyville - Kurrajong/North Richmond
Mission
Being on a trade career path has opened up so many doors for Louise. She has had some incredible experiences, lessons learnt and her skill set broadened. None of this would have been possible without the endless support from family, friends, co-workers and most importantly her mentors.
A lot was given to Louise as an up and coming professional and now she would like to give back the support. Below a list of services she is available for:
- Motivational Speaking
- Professional Development Workshops
- Basic Automotive Workshops
If you would like to get in touch please see the contact information below.