International Women's Day #EmbraceEquity
On International Women's Day, we caught up with our floristry teacher, Natalie, to chat about her WorldSkills involvement at the regional and national competitions and what equality for women means to her.
"Judging at the WorldSkills Regional competition, I most enjoyed the competitive atmosphere. Judging involved dissecting the criteria of each individual piece, which helped me to further develop my critical thinking. Being a judge also allowed me to sharpen my ability to think about the student's application of the design elements and the construction techniques required for each task."
Later this year, Natalie will take on the role of Convenor at the WorldSkills Australia National Championships. Natalie will be responsible for working with the Skills Management Team and WorldSkills Australia in the preparation and delivery of the pre-competition planning, assisting in sourcing equipment and materials for a successful floristry competition, along with conducting the contest.
Specialising in construct wired floristry techniques, Natalie has been teaching floristry for 15 years, choosing the profession due to its uniqueness.
"Floristry combines the beauty and challenges of working with natural botanical materials, using technique, colour and design. I chose to teach my trade to pass on the skills I have learned throughout my career. Engaging with students and watching them achieve their goals, big and small, along with the positive energy created in the classroom when working with flowers, is what I enjoy most. I get so much more back than I could possibly give."
This year International Women's Day has challenged us to imagine a gender equal world, free of bias, stereotypes and discrimination. We asked Natalie what this meant to her.
"Embracing Equity is recognising that we are all different and experience the world in our own way. Because of this, we sometimes need to be treated differently to achieve health, safety, education and overall wellbeing."
Natalie is one of many women at The Gordon stepping up to reach her potential and accomplish new feats in her field. Worldwide, everyone everywhere can step forward to truly #EmbraceEquity.