It’s billed as the Olympics of Vocational Education and Training (VET), a chance for students to test themselves, to compete against one another, and to showcase their skills and expertise on a grand stage. 

And it all starts on Tuesday 22 October, as Sydney Catholic Schools (SCS) hosts the WorldSkills Regional Competition across five days and four different colleges. 

WorldSkills is a competition where students demonstrate mastery in a wide range of VET courses, from Construction and Cookery, to Plumbing and Hairdressing. 

Competitions are designed by industry and skills experts who assess students’ knowledge, practical competence and employability skills against a set of strict criteria.

From Tuesday, students from Catholic, Independent and Department of Education schools will compete in competitions at Southern Cross Catholic College Burwood, Marist Catholic College Kogarah, Saint Yon Trade Training Centre Bankstown and St Joseph Trades Skills Centre Hinchinbrook. 

This Regional Competition is one of 34 regional events being held around Australia, with students all vying for a spot in next year’s WorldSkills Australian National Championships in Brisbane in June. 

Last year, eight SCS students travelled to Melbourne to compete in the National Championships, with four achieving medal positions, including Claudia Walker from Marist Sisters College Woolwich who won gold in Kitchen Operations.

The hope is that this year’s Regional Competition will unearth more talent among the SCS ranks, with 82 students participating across the five days.  

The SCS competitors have learned from the best, with five SCS teachers appointed as Chief Judges of the competition, alongside 14 other SCS Judges. This highlights the expertise and dedication of the educators within the system.

This offers educators a valuable professional learning opportunity to exchange insights with peers and other sectors, enabling …