Mackay tradies shine at WorldSkills
Mackay’s emerging trades workforce has turned preparation into performance, competing in the WorldSkills Central Queensland Regional Competitions hosted by CQUniversity.
The event brought together apprentices, trainees and students from across the region, giving them the opportunity to showcase their skills under competition conditions and measure their abilities against industry benchmarks.
Strong results were recorded across several disciplines. In the Turning Competition, Joanna Mallon from Mackay Sugar was awarded gold, Connor Lantry from MEA Mechanical Engineering, Gladstone, took silver, and Samuel Hyland from Boyne Smelters Ltd, Gladstone, received bronze.
Plumbing competitors also impressed, with John Bowman taking first place, followed by Riley Davison in second place and Jacob Price in third.
Regional Coordinator for WorldSkills Central, Leonie Wanchap, said events like WorldSkills play a vital role in regional communities.
“Events like WorldSkills are incredibly important for regional areas. They provide opportunities for apprentices to benchmark their skills against industry standards, build confidence, and gain exposure beyond their immediate workplace. In regions like Central Queensland, they also play a key role in connecting training providers, employers, and industry, helping to strengthen the local skills pipeline and showcase the depth of talent in regional communities.”
Another highlight of the competition was the strength of performances in the Fitting Competition. In the Fitting Competition, Nathaniel Farnham from KCL Industries secured gold, while Luke Daly placed second. A second year apprentice, Nathaniel said the experience was both demanding and rewarding.
“Overall, I felt good about how I performed,” Nathaniel said. “The time crunch really tested me, but the competition challenges your critical thinking and requires you to use reasoning to work through the task.”
Silver medallist Luke said the competition pushed participants to work independently and think creatively.
“I felt pretty good, especially with the machining,” Luke said. “I couldn’t ask the tradie what to do, so I had to think outside the box, and it was a really good experience.”
The WorldSkills pathway begins at the regional level, where top performers may progress to the national championships and, for some, international competition as part of the Skillaroos team. Participation alone can provide significant career benefits, including industry recognition, confidence building and valuable networking opportunities.
