“Refrigeration is clearly something I’m meant to do, and everything’s fallen into place,” says Floyd Lucas-Baxter, a Canberra Institute of Technology (CIT) apprentice who won a gold medal at the biennial WorldSkills national championships (the ‘Skills Olympics’) in Melbourne last week.
The 19-year-old Refrigeration and Air Conditioning apprentice said the three days of competition had sapped him of energy, but filled him with confidence as he takes the next steps in his career.
“I was so tired by the end of it,” Mr Lucas-Baxter said. “I’ve had harder physical days on the tools, but this was long days on your feet and there was no rest from thinking about the tasks. It was so hard, there was a time crunch, and in refrigeration you need to do things in a specific order of events or there’s no coming back. I had to be on point the whole time.”
Mr Lucas-Baxter was one of 13 students from the ACT, including 12 from the CIT, who competed against 500 of the best young trade students in Australia in the competition.
Three other CIT students won medals. Cooper Camden-Smith snared silver in Wall and Floor Tiling, while Charlie Elms (Cabinetmaking) and Lachlan Usher (Plastering) each claimed bronze.
CIT’s interim CEO, Christine Robertson, said the medals were a wonderful result for the students, their teachers and mentors, but also more broadly for the ACT.
“The ACT is grappling with a skills shortage, like elsewhere across the country, but these tremendous results reflect the CIT’s ongoing commitment to excellence in vocational education and training as we build the ACT’s workforce of the future,” Ms Robertson said.
“Today marks the start of National Skills Week, and these students are learning the personal and professional tools to become champions for their trades and the ACT community.
“To win a medal at WorldSkills Australia is a huge achievement, it is formal endorsement of the dedication and passion these students have for their trades. I’m confident, too, that all 13 ACT students will have grown through this experience, boosting their potential to become emerging industry leaders of the future.
“The ACT region is relatively small in population, but the proportionally big contingent we qualified for WorldSkills is testament to our ambitious student cohort and the exceptionally dedicated teachers who mentor them on their career pathways.”
Mr Lucas-Baxter credited the support of his CIT teacher Paul Wright, his employers (Cooper Lee, Mick Spence and Zanda Miladinovic), and his mentor for the World Skills competition, Ryan Hanns (Airmaster).
“It’s taken a toll on them too, they’ve been so supportive to let me prepare,” Lucas-Baxter said.
CIT’s other medallists also acknowledged support from teachers and mentors.
Cooper Camden-Smith, 20, employed with Michael Croker Tiling, said: “Michael Croker and [CIT’s] Martin Stallard have been instrumental in my development. They have provided valuable insights, shared their expertise, and helped me understand all about tiling. Their guidance has been crucial in preparing me for the competition and has greatly contributed to my growth as a tiler.”
Lachlan Usher, 21, employed by Blake Tabone of Southern Coast Plastering said: “My teacher Scott [O’Donnell] from CIT has been a massive help and motivator during this whole thing. He’s been doing his best getting me ready and spending countless hours going over the plans with me.”
Charlie Elms, 21, works for furniture maker Rolf Barfoed. “Rolf has been my mentor in preparation for WorldSkills. He’s done it before when he was an apprentice and went all the way to the international WorldSkills competition. He has helped me a lot.”
