A message from Peter Sjoquist, Executive Producer

Over the last twelve months, the team at The Australian Channel have been working hard and enthusiastically to produce SkillsOne.

I have been heavily involved in community programs addressing youth issues such as drug and alcohol addiction, health, unemployment, Indigenous affairs and skills development for over 40 years. I believe SkillsOne can have a valuable role in helping to address Australia's skills shortage by focusing on attitudes and social change.

My passion for social change and education led me to explore and establish many community based projects. Among them, Rock Eisteddfod Challenge and JRock, a successful school initiative motivating students to live healthy, proactive lives. Following the significant success of this youth program in Australia, the event now runs in the United Kingdom, New Zealand, South Africa, Dubai, Japan and Germany.

Its sister program, Croc Festival, was designed to motivate and inspire Indigenous and non-Indigenous students in remote and rural parts of the nation to attend school regularly, work towards goals and maintain positive, proactive lifestyles.

As a result of the success of the "I Want to Be" program of Croc Festival, the inspiration for SkillsOne was born.

My good friend and The Australian Channel's Creative Director, Peter Faiman, is also committed to creating a voice for social programs that can reach a broader audience.

He is one of Australia's best known and most talented television producers, having led the Nine Network's Light Entertainment unit for many years before joining News Corporation in the UK and the U.S. where among other projects he helped develop BSkyB, FX U.S. and was President of 20th Century Fox Television. Among many other internationally recognised projects Peter directed one of Australia's largest grossing films Crocodile Dundee, executive produced the animated feature FernGully: The Last Rainforest and directed the Opening and Closing Ceremonies of the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games.

At the invitation of The Institute for Trade Skills Excellence, The Australian Channel was established and Peter and I devised and developed SkillsOne to motivate and inspire young people and those considering a career change to take up a trade skill. Its aim is to change community attitudes by elevating the status of trades and promoting great trade teachers, training centres and courses.

I am extremely proud of the contribution the entire team at The Australian Channel this year. The journey has already taken us across Australia and abroad to Japan and our innovative, creative, and cutting-edge approach enables us to reach a wide audience and tackle the skills shortage in this country head on.

Our philosophy has been one of positive psychology and this is reflected in the success stories we have produced and screened.

The whole team at SkillsOne is committed to showcasing trade skill opportunities and helping people find their passion, and we look forward to growing and developing the SkillsOne multimedia concept around this great nation.

Peter Sjoquist AM

Creator and Chairman, Global Rock Challenge®
CEO, The Australian Channel Pty Ltd