Electricians need excellent problem solving skills as well as their general trade knowledge, we learn from Warren Carlyon, Chief Judge of Electrical Control at World Skills.

About Warren:

Warren is a 54 year old who has been in the trade for almost 40 years. He was a fully qualified electrician at 19. Warren is truly passionate about this trade and keen to pass on his and older tradesman’s knowledge onto new, younger apprentices.

He feels that although today’s apprentices are well trained and OHS is much better, sometimes they don’t get to learn problem solving and thinking skills, which Warren feels are essential – especially in a dangerous trade such as this.

This is Warren’s 6th National WorldSkills he has attended, his 3rd time as a judge. He works at Gladstone Ports Terminal in electro/drafting field in Queensland.

Electrical Installation @ Worldskills 2008 National Competition:

While Electrical Installation is usually to do with domestic services such as power points, light switches, etc, Electrical Control is usually to do with the Industrial side of things.

Electrical Control is a vast trade area however is usually to do with the design and maintenance of electric circuits, wiring and control systems. Installation, setup and testing of control circuits and devices is a major part of this trade area.

Examples of Electrical Control work is working on Motor Conveyer Belt Machines and heavy duty industrial pumps.

Two main projects in the competition:

1) Small conveyor baggage loading facility, can go both directions. Working with sensors. Works with different speeds and directions when it picks up when and where cargo is on. They have to build the whole thing from a box of goodies. During these main tasks they get tapped on the shoulder and asked to fix a GPO, or another small task or fault finding for 45 minutes.

2) Impromptu Project – someone asks them to do a household job in customer speak, they have to design and build as per their specification – as well as to current electrical standards. 4 hour exercise. Functional exercise. More precise exercise.