Mount Druitt TAFE NSW student, Caitlin Wilson was awarded with a Gold medal in front of hundreds of her peers from across the country, at the WorldSkills Australia 2023 National Championships Closing Ceremony in Melbourne on Sunday.

Caitlin took out the prestigious award after competing in the Signs and Graphics category of Australia’s largest skills competition hosted at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre from Thursday to Saturday.

Caitlin said it feels surreal to be named as the best of the best in Graphics and Signs.

“I’m still in shock to be honest, I can’t believe I’ve won,” Ms Wilson said.

“The competition was so tough, but everyone was helping each other and honestly any one of us could have taken out the gold.

“I’m so thankful to my boss Jeremy, from Pro Wraps and Graphics, I can’t thank him enough for sharing his knowledge and skills with me.

“My TAFE NSW teachers, Linda Wainwright and Cameron Marbus, have also been awesome, putting in some heavy-duty training to get me across the line.”

TAFE NSW Team Leader and WorldSkills Australia Experts Faculty Associate Member, Troy Everett said TAFE NSW students are in high demand because of the quality of their education and ability to hit the ground running in the workplace.

“Our students winning these awards demonstrate what is on offer for students if they choose a TAFE education,” Mr Everett said.

Gold medal winners are eligible for consideration for the Australian Skillaroos team who will compete with the world’s best at the WorldSkills International Competition finals to be held in France in 2024.