David de Lange, a 21-year- old apprentice from Eugowra, has been selected by WorldSkills Australia to compete against the best up and coming Australian tradespeople at the WorldSkills National Championships at Sydney in June.
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The championships are part of Skills Show Australia 2018 at the International Convention Centre (ICC) from Saturday June 2 to Monday June 4.
More than 400 competitors from across the country will vie for the title of National Champion in 50 trade and skill categories.
David is completing his Certificate III in Mechanical Trade at TAFE NSW and is employed by Midpro Engineering and Irrigation as a fitter and turner.
He will compete in the Fitting competition at the Skills Show.
David earned his spot at the National Championships after a strong performance at the 2017 WorldSkills Australia Regional Competitions.
It was challenging but rewarding, and a great opportunity to showcase the skills Ive learnt from TAFE and Midpro, David said.
I feel very proud and excited. Im committed to do my best and a bit nervous.
During this event, David will be marked on various skills including assembly, gear ratios and seal installation.
David said the National Championships are going to be hard, but he is confident due to the varied nature of his role while working for Midpro.
WorldSkills Australia CEO Brett Judd said WorldSkills Australia was nurturing and developing the skills of young Australians, and congratulated competitors for excelling in their fields and reaching such a prestigious national level.
Mr Judd said events such as Skills Show Australia 2018 highlighted the diverse opportunities available to those pursuing a trade or skill.
Choosing a vocational education and training path can open up some incredible and varied career opportunities, Mr Judd said.
Many of the occupations predicted to have the strongest jobs growth in the next five years are offered by our vocational education and training sector.
If David performs well in the National Championships, he will be eligible to represent Australia in the WorldSkills International Competition held at Kazan, Russia in August 2019.
Davids interest in engineering came from growing up on a farm, fixing and building farm machinery.
Long term, David hopes to combine his passion for agriculture and engineering with the plan of repairing and designing agricultural equipment.
