Three SWTAFE students win in national titles

Jacob Sanderson, a VETiS Metals & Engineering student from Portland, has taken out gold at the WorldSkills Australian National Championships and Skills Show in Brisbane.

Warrnambool student Zemma Wright won a certificate of excellence in VETiS Makeup Services and Lachlan King got the bronze medal for Carpentry.

Three further South West TAFE students reached the national finals: Warrnambool’s Maisie Rentsch in beauty therapy and Chloe Graham in cookery, and Portland’s Claire Bullock in VETDSS hairdressing. 

They were among 605 competitors across 63 different skills areas.

For Jacob, the national win is an important step in his career ambitions.

“I was surprised,” he said. “I thought I had done well and hoped to make the top three but didn’t expect to get first,” he said.

He got to share the moment with a good friend, Kadison Dalton, who was placed third and his parents were watching from home and were rapt when his win was announced.

Jacob is studying VCE at Heywood and District secondary College and goes to TAFE once a week for his second-year school-based engineering traineeship and he also goes to RIST in Hamilton once a week to study a Certificate III in agriculture.

He hopes to combine both options into a career. “I’d love to go into agriculture but also be able to incorporate fabrication into it and have a fabrication business as well,” he said.

Jacob’s parents have a small hobby farm while working in other jobs, but he wants to take it a step further and wants to have a fam that generates a living.

“I know that’s a big challenge in this day, but that’s what I want to aim for,” he said.

Jacob says his study days at South West TAFE’s Portland campus are great. “I’m loving it and all the teachers are great and very supportive.”

WorldSkills competitions are an opportunity for Australia’s trainees and apprentices to test their skills and knowledge in their chosen field against their peers. The 2025 National Championships and Skills Show will be on June 12-16 at the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre.

The South West TAFE students progressed to the national finals after winning their regional competitions last October. Zemma Wright was the only Victorian competing for the newly created makeup services title.

Team leader and hair and beauty teacher Kate McBain said it was a great achievement for so many South West TAFE students to reach the national finals.

“It’s amazing to be recognised as one of the 10 best in your field in Australia and it’s great for our region to have so many students representing us on the national stage,” Ms McBain said.

For more information: https://www.worldskills.org.au/2025-national-championships/