Nine talented students from Newman Senior Technical College proudly represented the College and the Mid North Coast region at the 2025 National WorldSkills Championships held in Brisbane in mid-June 2025, bringing home an impressive haul of medals and showcasing the strength of Vocational Education and Training in Schools (VETiS) programs.

Among the standout achievements:

• Arjuna Devine – Gold Medal in VETiS Business Services
• Torah Pauls – Gold Medal in VETiS Healthcare Assistant
• Penny Sprague – Silver Medal in VETiS Healthcare Assistant
• Jack MacKey – Silver Medal in VETiS Electrotechnology
• Meisha Mabey – Bronze Medal in VETiS Brick and Blocklaying
• Elijah Smith – Bronze Medal in VETiS Wall and Floor Tiling

Also qualifying and competing at the national level were Charlotte Liefting, Anabelle Stillman, and Alex Harris — a remarkable achievement and testament to their skill, dedication, and determination.

WorldSkills Australia is the nation’s largest vocational skills competition, attracting the country’s best young apprentices, trainees, and students in trades and skills-based careers. The success of these students highlights Newman College’s commitment to practical, hands-on learning and the strength of its partnerships with local industries.

Newman College Principal Mark Nunan said:

“We are incredibly proud of all nine students who competed at the national level. Their results are a credit to their individual efforts, their trainers, and the College’s VET programs. These achievements showcase the real-world capabilities our students are developing and their potential to become leaders in their chosen industries.”

Two of the students, Torah Pauls and Penelope Sprague, are completing their school-based traineeships at Parish residential care home, Emmaus.

Colleen Banks, Residential Services Manager, congratulated both Torah and Penny on their WorldSkills results and on their dedication to their work at Emmaus Home.

“Torah and Penny are doing an amazing job in their second year of school-based traineeships in aged care. They’ve become confident, capable members of the team and work really well with both staff and residents. Their warm, friendly nature and genuine care have made them favourites with everyone,” said Colleen.

“We’re very proud of the outstanding results they achieved at the national WorldSkills competition– Torah won Gold and Penny took home Silver! This is a huge achievement and shows just how passionate and dedicated they are.”

“With their skills and attitude, they’ve got bright futures ahead in aged care, and we’re lucky to have them as part of the team,” she added.

The Parish extends its congratulations to all participants, their teachers and to Newman Senior Technical College as it continues its tradition of excellence in vocational education.

Photo Caption: Newman College National WorldSkills 2025 Competitors (left to right): Torah Pauls, Penelope Sprague, Elijah Smith, Miesha Mabey, Alex Harris, Arjuna Devine, Jack Mackey, Annabelle Stillman and Charlotte Liefting.