WorldSkills competitions

WorldSkills Australia has been empowering excellence in young Australians since 1981, helping over 100,000 people compete in national and international skill competitions that celebrate skills excellence and provide them with an opportunity to showcase their talent.

WorldSkills Australia manages the program across Australia’s 42 regions, with regional competitions held in year one, followed by winners progressing to the national competition in year two. The Department of Training and Workforce Development manages competition activity in Western Australia across five regions, which are:

• Perth North;
• Perth South;
• South West WA;
• North West WA; and
• Goldfields.

In a regional competition year, competitions are held across Western Australia. Winners from the competitions will be selected to compete as members of Team WA at the National Championship. For more information about the National Championship, please visit the WorldSkills Australia website.

For more information about the National Championship, please visit the WorldSkills Australia website.

What is WorldSkills?

WorldSkills is a global movement with over 75 member countries who meet every two years to compete in over 50 skills categories. At a state and national level; WorldSkills partners with businesses, schools, and Governments to help young people learn about skills, achieve excellence, and kickstart their careers. 

WorldSkills promotes and builds a skills culture, celebrate excellence and showcase vocational education and training by engaging in research, promoting skills, building careers, focusing on education and skills training in Australia, fostering international cooperation and development, and running skills competitions and leadership programs.

WorldSkills Australia manages the program across Australia’s 42 regions. In Western Australia, the WorldSkills WA program is managed and supported by the Department of Training and Workforce Development. 

Who can compete in WorldSkills?

WorldSkills is open to anyone aged 23 or under, who is undertaking or has completed a vocational education and training (VET) qualification (for example; at a TAFE college).

Some eligibility conditions apply, we encourage you to contact the WorldSkills WA team to find out more. 

How do the competitions work?

Skills-based WorldSkills competitions operate at regional, national and international levels, and are aligned to national vocational education and training (VET) training packages and  Apprenticeships Australia and Jobs Australia schemes. Competitions are designed by industry and skills experts.

The competition schedule

Regional competitions for WA will next be held in 2024, and then again in 2026.

The national championships operate on a two-yearly cycle, taking place in the years in-between the regionals and internationals. 2025 and 2027 are the next international competition years.

Skill categories

There are a multiple competition skill categories, divided into 'open' and 'VETiS' (vocational education and training in schools) levels across many diverse industry areas. 

Regional competitions

Competitions are held all around Australia, including in regional areas, and operate on a two-year cycle. They consist of "skills test" in which competitors are required to undertake a task related to their field — for example, apprentice tilers may have to create a tiled feature wall, information technology students may have to fight off a virtual cyber attack, or apprentice hairdressers will showcase their styling skills.

National competitions

Winners of WorldSkills WA competitions may go on to compete at the WorldSkills Australia national championships. Held over three days at the Skills Show Australia event, competitors are flown from around the country to showcase and benchmark their skills on the national stage — in front of over 200,000 people — competing against their industry peers from all across Australia.

The Skills Squad emerge from the national championships as Australia’s best young skilled apprentices and trainees. From here, the elite Skillaroos are selected as part of Team Australia that goes on to compete internationally.

International competitions

Every two years, WorldSkills Australia sends a highly trained team — the Skillaroos — to compete against over 80 member countries for the title of the world’s most skilled country at an international competition. 

In addition to competing in another country, meeting new people and having a once in a lifetime experience, competitors are invited to become a member of the WorldSkills Australia Alumni and join a network of professionals who act as inspirational role models delivering careers advice to young people.

Who judges the competitions?

Competitions are judged by industry professionals and experienced TAFE lecturers  who assess an individual’s knowledge, practical competence and employability skills against a set of strict criteria.

What are the prizes?

Successful competitors have the opportunity to progress to a number of career-boosting pathways. In addition to potentially competing for gold, silver and bronze medals in your chosen skill nationally, and even internationally as members of the Skillaroos – the WorldSkills Australia International Team – there are leadership programs and scholarships to enable you to become the very best versions of yourself.

The WorldSkills Australia national championship is Australia’s biggest vocational education and excellence competition.

Current and previous TeamWA champions

See our list of current and previous WorldSkills TeamWA champions here

Ready to join TeamWA?

We would love to talk to you about competing in WorldSkills! Please contact us by phone or email.

T: 08 6551 5939
E: worldskills@dtwd.wa.gov.au

You can also find out more about WorldSkills Australia by visiting their website at worldskills.org.au.

Visit the WorldSkills Australia website

Frequently asked questions