Automotive apprentices score medals at WorldSkills Australia

Automotive apprentices from Kangan Institute have won a total of three medals at WorldSkills Australia’s 2023 National Championships, including:    

·         Silver: Motorcycle Mechanics – Tom Saxon

·         Silver: Automotive Refinishing – Dylan Hoskin

·         Bronze: Autobody Repair – Ali Akber Rezaie

The competition, which was held from 17-19 August, saw more than 500 young competitors from across the nation showcasing their mastery at locations in Melbourne, including Kangan Institute’s Automotive Centre of Excellence in Docklands (autobody repair and automotive refinishing skills).

For 22-year-old autobody repair bronze medalist Ali, the competition was a valuable learning experience.

“It’s the greatest experience I’ve ever had. It was only three days, but the experience was far beyond my expectations,” he said.

“The competition was a very good platform to meet other people and to show your skills. It was great to be with others who are very good in the trade and to watch what they were doing and what they’ve got.” 

(Autobody repair bronze medallist Ali Rezaie)

Originally from Afghanistan, Ali worked in a meat factory upon migrating to Australia, while keeping his eye out for a long-term career path. A friend introduced him to automotive body repair and the rest is history.

Excited with his medal, the second-year automotive body repair technology apprentice said training played a big role in getting him on to the winners’ podium.

“I’m feeling great – very excited and happy,” said Ali, who is employed with Capital SMART.

“It was challenging with a lot of time pressure, but it was also full of excitement.

“There were new challenges in the competition and things we don’t normally do at work, but training at Kangan really helped me a lot.

“If I ever get a chance to do any further competitions, I’m more than happy to do it. It was a great experience and a chance to learn a lot.”  

Motorcycle mechanics silver medalist Tom Saxon said he had been “honing those skills with the bikes at work” and was proud to achieve a title amongst the nation’s best.

“It feels pretty good, quite an achievement. My parents and boss are proud of me; it’s pretty cool to be up there with the best in Australia,” he said.

(Motorcycle mechanics silver medallist Tom Saxon)

Having just completed his Kangan Institute apprenticeship, the 23-year-old works as a motorcycle technician at Frank’s Garage, Tullamarine and sees himself building a strong future in this trade.  

“I’ve been in it four or five years now. I had bought a bike and did bits and pieces on it. I thought it was cool doing services and thought it could be a career,” Tom said.

“I just love it and I want to stay in the industry. I may open up my own shop one day.”

A total of eight automotive students from Kangan Institute participated in the 2023 WorldSkills National Championships, with the TAFE’s automotive educators also involved as competitor mentors, competition convenors and judges.

Kangan Institute Chief Executive Officer Sally Curtain said the WorldSkills experience offered competitors an avenue to progress their career.

“We are incredibly proud of the achievements of our eight Kangan Institute competitors, who have performed outstandingly as part of Team Victoria. The competition itself lasted three days, but the training and preparation began long before the big showdown,” Sally said.

“A massive congratulations to our medalists Tom, Joshua, Dylan and Ali – to come out on top against Australia’s finest apprentices is no small feat.

“The WorldSkills experience is an opportunity for our students to not only enhance their skills, but to also demonstrate their abilities to the wider nation. I am confident this experience will be a platform for our student competitors to achieve bigger and better things in their career.”

(Automotive refinishing silver medallist Dylan Hoskin)

Other Kangan Institute competitors were Noah Farrugia and Kristian Mitrovski for automotive electrical, Connor Matkovic for automotive mechanics and Coady Gorringe for heavy vehicle mechanics.

Top competitors at the National Championships will now have an opportunity to be selected for Team “Skillaroos”, who will represent Australia at the 2024 WorldSkills Competition in France. 

More information about WorldSkills Australia National Championships here.