2005 National ISS Institute Overseas Fellow, Supported by DEST, Commonwealth Government
Karen O’Reilly, Metal Fabricator and Welder, was invited to share her experiences as an ISS Institute Fellow at the 17th Annual ISS Institute Fellowship Awards, November 2007 at the RACV Club, Melbourne.
Square Pegs in Round Holes
Welcome distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen and Fellows to this, the 17th ISS Institute Fellowship awards ceremony. I especially wish to congratulate the new Fellows into the fold, as this day marks the first day of a very special path for you all. Carolynne once shared an observation with me: that ISS Fellows are united in their characteristics with one being we are ‘square-pegs-in-round-holes’. I have decided that this is a very important observation as it is telling of particular personal attributes that separate and distinguish you all from the ‘ordinary’. Being a ‘square-peg’ is, of course, never the easy route. But, it is reflective of certain essential qualities that makes you, you. It’s reflective of your life passions, observations, ability to question, courage to stand up for your beliefs and desire for improvement. It’s one of the reasons that we are now honoring you here today.
I have been asked to briefly share with you, a little about my Fellowship journey in the hope that those here may gain some insight into the importance of the work undertaken by the ISS and (at least one of) its Fellows!
Two years ago I was working as a Metal Fabricator and Welder. Although a good job, there was little prospect for career development or advancement. Maybe due to certain stagnant and outdated social perceptions of the metal trades, there has (in Australia) traditionally been a lack of career development and pathways to ‘Master artisan’ for tradespeople – and I was looking for something new. At the time of applying for my Fellowship I was employed by ‘Skilled Engineering’, now I’m teaching at Swinburne TAFE. I first began teaching welding one night a week at Victoria University (VU), and it was through VU that I discovered the existence of the International Specialised Skills Institute.
I was extremely impressed by the ISS’s vision. It made me think more carefully about the many skills deficiencies (or skills gaps) in my area of work. I was so impressed to learn that this organisation gave Fellowships to tradespeople, as I had never known of anyone offering these kinds of opportunities before.
In 2005, I was awarded the ‘National ISS Institute Overseas Fellowship’ for Victoria, sponsored by DEST, Commonwealth Government, to undertake a study program to gain a comprehensive understanding in Pipefitting as well as design, creativity, innovation and problem solving in engineering trades.
I have always been a creative person and have held the firm belief that engineering trades is an industry requiring highly creative and innovative skills – this is an area of some contention as it challenges traditional perceptions of trade engineering and what it means to be a good tradesperson.
For many years, although qualified as a ‘Metal Fabricator and Welder’, I’d worked on site in an area of my trade that was not taught to me as part of my formal apprenticeship training.
I’d made pipe work for the ANZAC Frigates in Williamstown and designed and installed stainless steel piping for beer production at CUB, now ‘Fosters Group’ in Abbotsford. Although this was the work I performed, the absence of its training was always painfully obvious, and it was from other tradesmen, I learned of a trade called ‘pipefitting’ that existed in other countries, but not here in Australia.
It is interesting to note that in response to this deficiency, tradespeople and industry have created what is essentially an unofficial ‘sub-trade’ of pipefitters out of necessity…
After much research, I eventually teamed up with both the WTIA as well as a man in the USA named Phil Campbell who is a senior training coordinator of the prestigious United Association of Journeymen and apprentices of the Plumbing and Pipefitting Industry of the USA and Canada (or ‘UA’). Phil had also been responsible for building a brand new pipefitting training centre in Nevada USA, and invited me to visit the complex and as well as attend the UA’s week long trainer-training program in Ann Arbor Michigan to meet with pipefitting trainers from across the USA and Canada.
When I finally arrived, I was overwhelmed by the magnitude and sophistication of the UA as an organisation. It has over 400 purpose built trade training centres throughout North America and approximately 330,000 members, 60% of who are pipefitters. The UA understand the importance and value of education and invest heavily in the quality of their training centres and staff.
It is only through these overseas Fellowship opportunities that skills areas can be formally identified. For this reason, the ISS play a very important role in the improvement of quality training in this country. I am hopeful that one day, we too will be in a position to introduce such quality pipe training here…
And finally, I’d like to congratulate our new Fellows, and leave you all with this final thought: The only place where success comes before work is in the dictionary.