Youth get hands on for World Skills

The South West will be well represented at next month’s World Skills Australia National Competition, with nine competitors chosen from the region in the State squad.

This year’s competition will be held at the Perth Convention and Exhibition Centre from September 18 to 20 and will feature 500 of the best trainees, apprentices and students competing against one another to be crowned best in their occupation.

Those competing from the South West include Sam Lewis (bricklaying), Mathew Burnett (cabinetmaking), Anthony Brien (carpentry), Kiri Walsh (cookery), Caitlin French Mayor (fashion technology), Nathan Sanford (hairdressing), Leisha Young (restaurant service), Jake Klein (turning) and Nathan Playle (welding).

Third year welding apprentice Nathan Playle said he was excited to compete against the nation’s best in welding.

“It will be a lot of the hand skills with the welding and all the different welding processes and techniques, ” he said.

“I should learn a bit. I want to see how I rank in Australia.”

Hairdressing apprentice Nathan Sanford said the competition would be challenging and he had been training three nights a week in preparation.

“It is very different to normal hairdressing, ” he said.

“All the cutting is the same, but then the competition is a whole new adventure. It is a lot more technical. The hair-up skills and all your fanning of the hair is what you don’t see in the salon and the colour work is a bit more technical work as well.”

“It will be a lot of the hand skills with the welding and all the different welding processes and techniques”

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