Courtney Baldwin showed she was a cut above the rest at the WorldSkills Australia 2018 National Championships in Sydney this week.
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Courtney won gold in hairdressing, and said it had been an action-packed three days.
“I did feel the pressure, but it wasn’t like negative pressure; it was very exciting – an adrenaline rush, that’s for sure,” she said.
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“I went in with my mindset of just doing my best and anything on top of that was just a bonus, so to win gold was just an amazing feeling.”
The Uralla resident is a third-year apprentice at Cooper & Co Hairdressing, Armidale, and studies at NSW TAFE Tamworth.
Courtney’s win has secured her a place on the Australian Skillaroos team to compete with the world’s best at the 45th WorldSkills International Competition finals, to be held in Kazran, Russia, next year.
Member for Northern Tablelands and Minister responsible for TAFE Adam Marshall joined Courtney at the closing ceremony of the championships last night, where she was awarded her medal.
Mr Marshall said he was thrilled to see a local student excelling on the national stage.
“Courtney’s immense talent has taken her all the way to gold on the national stage and I cannot wait to see what she achieves when she takes her hairdressing skills to Russia for the international competition next year,” Mr Marshall said.
“TAFE students are in high demand because of the quality of their education and ability to hit the ground running with relevant and practical skills and Courtney’s success is a clear demonstration of that.
“This win is a huge coup for Courtney and our region. Courtney’s done herself, her family and her employer incredibly proud, proving she is the cream of the hairdressing crop in the whole country.
Courtney was not the only competitor from the New England region to take home a medal.
Jack McKemey from Guyra won a silver medal for VET in Schools primary industries, while students who study through TAFE in Tamworth were also winners with Joe Ussher winning gold in auto electrical and Dayna Moyses taking home silver in cookery.
They all either live or study in the region, and some could also be chosen to represent Australia in Kazan.
Joe is a student there as well, but lives and works in the Nambucca Heads area.
He said that after the three days of competition “I knew I’d had a pretty good crack and it was looking OK”.
He said being named a winner on Tuesday night had been such a “shock” he didn’t really remember it.
“I knew I got it once I was up there on stage, smiling, though,” he said.
Dayna said the competition “was amazing”.
“It really tests your limits and makes you think on your feet, which betters your chefing skills,” she said.
“It’s a little nerve-wracking, but you get used to it after the first day.
“Then you just put your head down and your bottom up, focus and try to do the best you can.”
The TAFE students were accompanied by, among others, regional WorldSkills co-ordinator Cameron Falzon, who was also a cookery judge in sections that didn’t include Dayna.
Mr Falzon said the wins were “very good for the region” and “the best we’ve ever done”.
“I put it down to the commitment of the students, the great training and support from their mentors at TAFE, and their employers getting involved and supporting their young apprentices.”