West Aussie Technical and Further Education (TAFE) and Vocational Education Training (VET) students have brought home gold medals from the WorldSkills National Championships.
Held in Brisbane between June 12 and 14, a total of 74 WA students from varying learning pathways competed on a national stage.
Competitors were made up of 44 competitors undertaking TAFE qualifications, and 30 students completing VET certificates in schools.
Lachlan Basc from Mount Nasura won a gold medal in 3D Digital Game Art, while Alisha Albrand from Kenwick won the bronze in the same technology field.
South Metropolitan TAFE students Rupert Patterson won gold in Motorcycle Mechanics, with Chlose Cashman winning silver in the same category, and Larni Roberts winning silver for the TAFE in Hairdressing.
Harry Foulds, who attends South Metropolitan TAFE for Heavy Vehicle Mechanics, won bronze.
Many other competitors were awarded Certificates of Excellence for scoring a minimum of 700 credits at the competition, according to the WorldSkills Scale.
These recipients included bricklaying students Jay Mercer Harrison and Jason Seiler, both from Gosnells, and Graphic Design Technology student Josi Svendson from Armadale.
Skills and TAFE Minister Amber-Jade Sanderson said the bi-annual competition provided an opportunity for WA TAFE students to showcase their skills.
“The 2025 WorldSkills National Championships have once again highlighted the exceptional talent within Western Australia’s vocational education sector,” she said.
“Our team of young professionals has proven that WA is a powerhouse in vocational education. Their success is a testament to the high-quality training opportunities and mentorship available in our State.
“We could not be prouder of TeamWA’s achievements, and there is no doubt their success will inspire even more young people to pursue a vocational pathway.”
WA students took home a total of 23 medals which included nine gold, eight silver and six bronze, as well as 17 Certificates of Excellence.
WA is also set to host next year’s Australian Skills Excellence Forum where selected national competitors will be invited to enhance their skills in a two-day workshop, which is partnered with WorldSkills.
In addition, many of this year’s national competitors will have an international skill showcasing opportunity with some WA winners set to represent Australia at the 2026 international WorldSkills competition in Shanghai.south
