
Louise had the opportunity to speak along some inspirational people at WesTrac NSW/ACT International Women's Day event which she helped organize as part of Westrac NSW/ACT Diversity and Inclusion committee.
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.
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.
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/
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.
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.
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:
- St Mary's -Wetherill Park - Winsdor - Penrith Vally - Beecroft - Upper Blue Mountains
- Wahroonga - Hills/Kellyville - Kurrajong/North Richmond
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:
If you would like to get in touch please see the contact information below.
Louise was an ambassador for the 2019 Brisbane Truck Show. She got this opportunity from receiving Highly Commended National Heavy Vehicle Apprentice of the year.
For more information on fees and availability, send me a message. Tell me about your event, and I will get back to you soon with more information.
Copyright © 2018 Louise Azzopardi - All Rights Reserved.
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