Perth North Storms up the Regional Medal Table

For the first time in 25 years, Team WA entered the 2014 WorldSkills Australia National Competition arena this September as the home side. Sixty hopefuls from around the state donned the black and gold to represent their regions in over 30 categories across three days of competition.

The event was held at the Perth Convention and Exhibition Centre from 18-20 September and Perth North came away with a clutch of medals.

Congratulations to the following medallists from Perth North:

Julia Wood, Gold medallist in Fashion Technology
Julia studied Fashion Technology at Polytechnic West and was prompted to enter the regional competition by Fashion and Design Lecturer Belinda Butler. Julia is keen to pursue a career in the fashion industry and has travelled extensively honing her craft.

Harley Clements, Gold medallist in Signage
Harley completed his studies at Polytechnic West and it was perhaps this and his love of vehicle wrapping that gave him the edge in a tough field. Before the competition, Harley said he was thrilled at the prospect of competing for the title of the nation’s best – and now he can feel more thrilled at the result!

Sharlene Kid, Gold medallist in Painting & Decorating
Having won silver at the regional level, Sharlene was not expecting to be competing at the 2014 WorldSkills Australia National Competition, but when the opportunity arose, she grabbed it and did not look back. Months of training hard with her mentors at MPA Skills paid off, with Sharlene blazing a trail to Gold.

Chris Malone, Silver medallist in Cookery
Most people are still trying to work out what they want to do at age 17, but Chris Malone, one of three chefs from WA, was well on his way to being qualified. Chris knew very early on that he had a passion for cooking and is already making his mark as a qualified chef. Having trained at West Coast Institute, Chris is keen to develop his skills further.

Nicholas Coci, Bronze medallist in Bricklaying
Nicholas Coci, who trains at West Coast Institute, can credit his success to a lot of hard work he was able to put into training, thanks to his employer, Celebration Homes and Coach Eddie. Nic trained twice a week in the lead up to the competition with team mates Sam Lewis and Dylan Marsh, as the quiet achiever in the group, it was Nic who came through at the competition to claim the medal.

Mick Ivey, Bronze medallist in Wall & Floor Tiling
Mick has never felt disadvantaged in competition and the results speak for themselves. Having been selected for Team WA by keen-eyed International Expert Ron Simeon, Mick did not look back and proved his worth by securing the Bronze medal. Just as well as Mick’s boss, from Wide West tiling was himself a national medallist – no pressure, Mick!

Congratulations to all of our medallists and their Team WA Perth North team mates for a fantastic job at the competition.

• Katherine Strahan
• Natasha Webster
• Shaun Steiner
• Jason Nesbitt
• Luke Montford
• Daniel Potter
• William Stewart
• Amy Stoner-Paterson
• Tammeeshya Vukojevich
• Allyana Goff

What is next for our champions?

Despite winning the Gold medals in their respective categories, both Julia and Harley are ineligible to progress to the international competition however are encouraged to apply for one of the many highly sought after scholarship opportunities associated with WorldSkills Australia.

Sharlene, our gold medallist in Painting & Decorating was invited to apply for a position on the Skills Squad, a new initiative of WorldSkills Australia, where she now anxiously waits for the outcome of her application. If successful, Sharlene will have passed the first stage in the selection process which may ultimately lead her to represent Australia on the international stage at the WorldSkills Competition 2015 (WSC2015) being held in Sao Paulo, Brazil.

Whether any of this talented group ends up on a plane to Brazil for the next international competition is yet to be seen, however one thing is for sure – their skills can take them anyway from here.

Want to see where your skills can take you? Enquire now about the next round of regional competitions, coming in 2015.