The winners of the 2016 Worldskills Australia national competition within the automotive services category have been revealed.
The competition aims to recognise the talent and efforts of exceptional young people across a range of industries to sweep up gold, silver and bronze awards.
This year's winners in the autobody repair category are:
Gold – Jade McSorley – Welch's Highway Smash (NSW)
Silver – Damien Kleyn – Cronic Customs (WA)
Bronze – Matthew Brandt – Branxton Greta Smash Repairs (NSW)
Young guns paving success as spray painters were also awarded:
Gold – Dusti-Lee Franchi – Edward Fitzgerald (WA)
Silver – Jac Urlich – Miami Smash Repairs (QLD)
Bronze – Crystal McLaren – Jacobs Body & Paint (VIC)
Competitors were asked to showcase skills to their respective judges in front of a panel of judges.
The autobody repair competitors were required to demonstrate to judges successfully measuring a damaged vehicle and prepare a damage report, remove and replace welded panels on a vehicle frame and repair a panel using metal finishing techniques.
The spray painters demonstrated preparation, masking and design layout to application of primers, basecoats, clear coats and colour matching with the main module including a detailed design on a car bonnet.
The competition took place at the Melbourne Showgrounds on October 6.