Benjamin Millen, from Numurkah, won the Gold Medal in Automotive Refinishing at the 2024 WorldSkills Australia National Championships and Skills Show. The competition, held from June 12 to 15, drew Australia’s most talented vocational education students to compete across a broad range of trades.
Currently pursuing a Certificate III in Automotive Refinishing Technology at GOTAFE, Benjamin also works at Harris Panel Beating in his hometown. Despite the high stakes, Benjamin admitted he hadn’t expected to walk away as a national champion.
“I didn’t really expect to win, to be honest,” he said.
“I would definitely (recommend) others have a go at it, just for the experience and the mates that I made up there,” he said.
A dual-trade student, Benjamin began his training in panel beating before transitioning into automotive painting.
Benjamin was one of nine GOTAFE students representing Victoria at the biennial competition, which provides a platform for emerging talent in trades and vocational education to test their skills on a national level.
Among other standout performances, Nicholas Stephens secured fourth place in the Panel – Autobody Repair category and earned a Certificate of Excellence.
Jakk Devlin also received a Certificate of Excellence for his work in the IT – Cyber Security event.
GOTAFE was well-represented across multiple disciplines, with participants including Lachlan Dunne (Heavy Vehicle), James Lennox (Light Vehicle – Automotive Mechanics), Hayley Hopkins and Ethan Marsh (Motorcycle Mechanics), Fraser Ellis (Construction Steelwork), and Jed Coolahan (Airconditioning and Refrigeration).
Several GOTAFE staff played key roles as well. Stephen Foster served as a judge in Construction Steelwork, while Kim Banfield took on the role of Chief Judge for Bakery and has been selected to represent Australia at the upcoming international WorldSkills competition in Shanghai.
Mid-year enrolments are now open at GOTAFE.
For course details and how to apply, visit gotafe.vic.edu.au/youve-got-this.
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