Boyne Smelter apprentices Jacob Watson and Liam Thomassen among medallists at WorldSkills Championships

Two Boyne Smelter apprentices were awarded medals at a recent national championships which was live streamed from Western Australia. Read more about their achievements here.

Adding yet another feather to the Gladstone region’s impeccable industry awards cap, two Boyne Smelter apprentices medalled at the 2021 WorldSkills Australia National Championships.

Jacob Watson was awarded the gold and Liam Thomassen took home the bronze medal in the Electrical Control category.

The Electrical Control category tasks competitors with multiple trade-related activities over two days, including programming variable speed drives (VSD) and programmable logic controllers (PLC), interpretation of electrical drawings and general installation of wiring and electrical components to specification.

Mr Watson thanked competition co-ordinators and his BSL mentors for their support in preparation for the event.

“Participating in the competition and being awarded a gold medal means a great deal to me,” he said.

“I’m glad that I could excel in my trade and make my friends, family and workmates proud.“

Mr Thomassen said it was an awesome experience to compete at a national level in my trade.

“Competing at WorldSkills gave me a feeling of accomplishment. I was able to use all the skills I’d learned throughout my apprenticeship to put in a strong performance,” he said.

The national awards were presented at a virtual ceremony from Perth on October 27, after Covid travel restrictions meant the competition was held at satellite sites around the country in August.

In the months leading up to the competition, Jacob and Liam undertook regular training, led by BSL tradespeople with a desire to give back by mentoring apprentices, and an intense two-week training block.

During the training, a delegated trade mentor tutored Jacob and Liam in setting up wiring diagrams and other tasks they were later tested on in the competition.

BSL general manager Lesley Bryce congratulated the pair on their achievements.

“We are thrilled our electrical apprentices have been recognised for their achievements,” she said.

“I also want to acknowledge the team of trainers and tradespeople who supported them in preparation for the WorldSkills Competition.”

BSL apprentice coordinator Trevor Loughran, who helped Jacob and Liam prepare for the competition, said the most rewarding part of his role was watching people transform into world-class trades people.

“This makes me very proud of all of my apprentices,” he said.

At the time of the competition, Jacob and Liam were fourth-year apprentices.

They are now both qualified electrical tradespeople.