With the announcement of the national training squad, the next generation of Aussie skills talent is gearing up for world stage.
WorldSkills Australia has announced the 39 rising stars who have been named in its national training squad — the first step toward selection for Team Australia, which will compete at the 48th WorldSkills Competition held in Shanghai, China, September 22-27, 2026.
Preparation
The squad includes high-performing apprentices, trainees and young professionals from every state and territory, who excelled at the recent WorldSkills Australia National Championships in Brisbane, earning medals across 35 different skill categories, ranging from carpentry and plumbing to graphic design, patisserie, cyber security and additive manufacturing.
Over the coming months, squad members will undertake an intensive training program. Those selected for the final team will represent Australia on the global stage in September 2026, competing against more than 1400 peers from over 60 countries in the world’s largest skills excellence event.
The announcement coincides with the launch of National Skills Week, an initiative that champions vocational education and highlights the critical role of skills-based careers in shaping Australia’s future workforce and economy.
Launch
The training squad will be officially launched at a special event at Parliament House in Canberra on September 1, attended by Minster for Skills and Training, the Hon Andrew Giles MP, Patron for WorldSkills Australia, former MP Brendan O’Connor, MPs, TAFE directors and other dignitaries. In the lead up to the event, the team will be attending a four-day team development camp to strengthen team bonds, train in high performance and resilience, and prepare for the honour and challenge of representing Australia on the world stage.
The Australian Government proudly supports the WorldSkills program, which plays a vital role in encouraging young Australians to pursue skills-based careers. With ongoing skills shortages across multiple sectors, events like the National Championships help to promote trades and training pathways as valuable, future-focused career options.
First held in 1950, the WorldSkills International Competition aims to raise the profile of vocational skills worldwide, engaging young people, parents, educators and employers in the value of trades and technical education.
“The talent on display at the National Championships was nothing short of extraordinary – a true reflection of the world-class skills that exist right here in Australia,” said WorldSkills Australia CEO, Trevor Schwenke. “These young people have proven themselves among the best in the country and now have the opportunity to show the world just how strong and competitive Australian skills excellence is.”
The three candidates chosen for the Landscape Gardening category are:
Thomas Downing
Dylan McIntyre, and
Michael Blasch.
To stay up-to-date with WorldSkills Australia and the 48th WorldSkills Competition, keep an eye on worldskills.org.au.