Students win big at WorldSkills Australia National Championship

Students win big at WorldSkills Australia National Championship

RMIT students lead the way at one of the country’s biggest careers and skills showcase events, earning a total of 11 medals across a range of disciplines.

RMIT’s vocational education students showcased their talents at the WorldSkills Australia 2023 National Championships, which took place in Melbourne over three days in August. 

WorldSkills brings together apprentices and trainees from around Australia, providing a platform for students with an interest in vocational, technological and service-oriented careers to take their knowledge beyond the classroom in various skills-based competitions.

Out of the 21 RMIT students competing, 11 were awarded medals. RMIT students took home five gold, one silver and five bronze medals – a huge achievement for one organisation.

Mish Eastman, Deputy Vice-Chancellor Vocational Education and Vice-President, said she is proud of the great results RMIT students achieved. 

“This success reflects our students’ exemplary dedication, ability and passion for their fields of study and work while also reinforcing RMIT’s position as a national leader in vocational education,” said Eastman. 

"A big congratulations to all the students who competed. Representing RMIT on the national stage is no easy feat and we couldn’t be prouder of what you’ve accomplished.” 

Additive Manufacturing winners lined up in front of WorldSkills backdrop Gold rush in future technologies: RMIT's Additive Manufacturing competitors (pictured) made a clean sweep of medals. Photo by WorldSkills.
28 August 2023

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A gold rush in future technologies

Students from the College of Vocational Education’s future technologies courses performed particularly well, winning gold medals in Industry 4.0, Cloud Computing, IT Network Systems Admin and Additive Manufacturing. 

These areas are transforming organisations around the world as they look to modernise their operations.

Dr Nick Patterson, Director of Future Technologies, said the next generation will be required to have an adaptable skillset that enables them to work with new technologies, which is why STEM education is an important focus for RMIT.

“Our students have been studying very diligently and have learned cutting-edge skills. With WorldSkills, we got to put these skills to the test, and with the great results we had, it’s clear that our students are some of the best in the country,” Patterson said.

Gold medal winner in Cloud Computing, RMIT student Dylan Armstrong fell in love with IT and programming when he was just 10 years old and says he’s very proud of his achievements.

“Winning the Nationals, getting that gold medal on stage and being crowned the best in the nation – it was a great feeling,” Armstrong said.

Dylan Armstrong with gold medal, smiling at camera Dylan Armstrong (pictured) says that besides winning gold, the atmosphere of the competition floor was what he enjoyed most. Photo by WorldSkills.

Wins in Visual Merchandising, Fashion Technology and Refrigeration

In addition to the success in future technologies, RMIT students also scored medals in Visual Merchandising, Fashion Technology and Refrigeration, demonstrating the breadth of talent in RMIT’s VE community.

Georgia Knight, who received the gold medal in Visual Merchandising, says her win hasn’t sunk in just yet. 

“If I’m being honest, I’m still quite gob smacked that I’ve won,” said Knight. 

“The highlight for me was having the opportunity to showcase what visual merchandising is to the crowd and hopefully inspire someone to look at what the course has to offer.” 

She noted that RMIT's participation in WorldSkills has connected her with like-minded and creative people and helped her move closer to the career she's always imagined for herself.

The full list of RMIT winners is:

  • Fashion Technology – Jemma Watt (Bronze)
  • Visual Merchandising – Georgia Knight (Gold) and Coco Symons (Bronze)
  • Refrigeration – Blake Harris (Bronze)
  • Additive Manufacturing – Gervase Voss (Gold), Luke McPherson (Silver) and MacKenzie Murray (Bronze)
  • IT Network Systems Admin – Ethan Souleles (Gold)
  • Cloud Computing – Dylan Armstrong (Gold) and Oisin Aeonn (Bronze)
  • Industry 4.0 - Randy Gunawan (Gold) and Disha Anchan (Gold)

Winners from the National Championships are now eligible to be selected for the National Team, which will represent Australia at the International Competition, WorldSkills Lyon 2024.

Georgia Knight and Coco Symons smiling and holding gold and bronze medals to camera Georgia Knight and Coco Symons (pictured) received a gold and bronze medal in Visual Merchandising. Photo by WorldSkills.

About WorldSkills

Just under 27,000 visitors attended WorldSkills 2023, with the majority comprising school students seeking to learn more about the opportunities that vocational, technological and service-oriented careers can unlock. 

The National Championships were supported by almost 300 volunteers, including RMIT staff, judges, site crew, skill managers, assessment advisors and team leaders.

 

Story by: Keely Tzoukos

28 August 2023

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