Indy Griffiths is, by any measure, an impressive young woman. Not only does she power through her work as graphic designer for Mona Vale company Style Communications, she also runs her own freelance studio and this month, with the support of Visual Connections, she will represent Australia as a ‘Skillaroo’ at the 54th WorldSkills International Championships.
At school, Indy always loved design so there was never much doubt she’d pursue a career in the creative arts. Choosing Graphic Design as her major, she completed her training at Enmore Design Centre TAFE where, as luck would have it, she also came into contact with WorldSkills Australia.
WorldSkills is a social enterprise which fosters skills excellence in vocational, technological and service-oriented careers in Australia, and promotes the importance of those skills to young people, their parents, industry and employers.
As well as regional and national championships, Australian competitors – known as Skillaroos – also compete on the global stage through WorldSkills International. This year’s championship will be held in Kazan, Russia, from August 22-27, where an anticipated audience of 250,000 will watch competitors from 66 counties compete for gold, silver and bronze medals and the title of world champion in their skill.
“The regional championships were held at Enmore so my lecturer suggested I compete,” Indy recalls. “Despite having no idea what it was, I agreed and surprised myself by winning by a narrow margin.”
Qualifying for the national championship created a dilemma for the young designer who, by her own admission, lacked confidence at such a young age.
“It was daunting to be up against the ‘best of the best’ from around Australia but, with the encouragement of my lecturers and work colleagues, I decided to give it a go – and it’s been an amazing confidence builder,” she says.
No wonder. Indy took out the Graphic Design Technology section comfortably, qualifying alongside 14 other young people to represent her country at WorldSkills Kazan 2019. To go, however, she needed both the permission of her employer and industry support.
For Style Communications’ owner, Shayna Price, it was a no-brainer. “We make a practice of giving young people the chance to develop their skills and gain experience, and then take great pride in then watching them go out and build their careers,” she says.
“WorldSkills is a fantastic opportunity for Indy to learn, develop her skills and build her confidence – which can only be good both for her and for us.”
Shayna knows the value of on-the-job experience, having learned the ropes herself having taken a job with Style Communications after completing her own apprenticeship…as a chef.
“It was something of a departure,” she laughs, “but I immediately enjoyed the way that we are not just producing products, but really helping solve problems for our customers. I just fell in love with the business – so much so that, when the original family moved on to new challenges, I decided to take over.”
The ensuing years have had their moments – a major flood and a ransomware attack to name just two – but a loyal local clientele from around the Northern Beaches and a team of dedicated and talented people have kept the doors open.
Indy, she says, joined the team almost by chance, after walking in to get a job printed towards the end of her TAFE course.
“As soon as I opened the files, I thought, ‘This girl really knows her stuff’. We were looking for a designer at the time, so we offered her the job, and she’s been a real asset. Design is so critical to meeting our customers’ requirements, and I’m always astonished by the quality of her work and the speed at which she does it. We are so proud of what she’s achieved with WorldSkills and we’re excited to see how she fares on the international stage.”
The final piece of the puzzle fell into place for Indy when Visual Connections – the premier supplier’s association for the print, graphics and signage industries – agreed to sponsor her to participate in the international competition.
CEO Peter Harper says the Visual Connections’ long-standing support for WorldSkills Australia is reflective of its commitment to helping young people like Indy gain the skills, knowledge and experience they need to build successful careers in the sector.
“While we often sponsor young print or sign apprentices, nothing is more fundamental to our industry than design,” Peter says. “That’s why we are so delighted to be sponsoring Indy – she’s already an asset to our industry and we’re looking forward to seeing her compete with the Skillaroos in Russia.”
As for Indy, she’s typically downplaying her chances of success in Kazan but, win, lose or draw, there’s one thing she’s certain about – it won’t be her last interaction with WorldSkills.
“It’s been a fantastic experience so, once I’m no longer able to compete, I’d love to give back by being a mentor to other trainees,” she says. “I’ve learned so much from other designers all over the world – and it’s great to be able to bring those skills back to the industry here in Australia.”
