Box Hill Institute’s (BHI) Michelle Le Cornu discusses a recent WorldSkills regional competition that put six young apprentices to the test. Known as the “Olympics of trade skills,” WorldSkills, held a regional refrigeration competition recently at The TAFE, which is situated in the eastern suburbs of Melbourne.

Over 500 regional WorldSkills competitions are held throughout Australia every two years. Over 4,000 trainees, students, and apprentices have their knowledge and skills put to the test in these competitions.

Competing in the east Melbourne regional event were six of BHI’s top apprentices from the Certificate III in Air Conditioning and Refrigeration program. Their challenge? to finish a number of difficult tasks connected to refrigeration in eight hours. Pipework, welding, pressure testing, evacuation, charging, wiring, and commissioning a refrigeration system were among the tasks involved.

Each apprentice’s work is evaluated by a panel of experts, which includes Raines and BHI trainers Huan Tran and Nathan Dryzun, in accordance with strict guidelines.

WorldSkills will reveal the regional competition winners later this year. These champions will represent Victoria in July 2025 in Brisbane during the national WorldSkills competitions.

This story and image were provided courtesy of HVAC&R News page and was slightly edited prior to publication.
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