21 August 2023

TAFE NSW students from the Northern Rivers region have netted a bag of prestigious awards in front of more than 400 of their peers from across the country, at the WorldSkills Australia 2023 National Championships Closing Ceremony in Melbourne on Sunday.

Among the four Northern Rivers medal winners is Automotive Refinishing apprentice Dylan Cleaver who won gold for spray painting, making him eligible for consideration for the Australian Skillaroos team which will compete with the world’s best at the WorldSkills International Competition finals to be held in France in 2024.

The Northern Rivers competitors celebrating medal wins are:

• Gold – Dylan Cleaver, Automotive Refinishing (Wollongbar campus)
• Silver - Olympia James-Ainslee, Cookery (Kingscliff campus)
• Silver - Kurt Orlanno, Cabinetmaking (Casino campus)
• Bronze - Harrison Crawter, Automotive Mechanics (Wollongbar campus)
   

Gold medal winner Dylan, who studies at TAFE NSW Wollongbar, has thanked his TAFE NSW teachers for helping to win the prestigious award.

“It’s such a great achievement and a very cool thing to be able to say I won, competing against some of the best in the business,” he said.

“The hard work has paid off and I’m very grateful to my teacher Evan Coleman, who only wants the best for his students and I know he’ll be very proud to have helped me to be recognised as one of the best young painters in Australia.”

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.