Two students took at gold medals at the WorldSkills National Competition in Melbourne last week.

Former beauty student at Wagga TAFE, now Diploma qualified Beauty Therapist at Mink Hair and Beauty, Lily Campbell took out the gold medal in the beauty section.

Miss Campbell won at the regionals last year which qualified her for the competition this year.

The therapist was tested over three days from 8am to 7pm each day.

Every aspect of her work was tested from nail treatments and nail art to body treatments and massages to makeup and eyelash and eyebrow tints.

“It was a challenge but it was really rewarding,” Miss Campbell said.

In the end she took out first place by six points, usually competitors are only separated by half a point, from 11 opponents from across Australia.

Nine judges observed the work of each competitor and scored from what they could see.

“You had to make the judge want to be on your bed,” Miss Campbell said.

In the lead up to the competition Miss Campbell was training for 12 to 14 hours a week plus working full time.

“I’ve been getting lots of support from the girls at Mink and my mentor Naomi Zadoit from Wagga TAFE,” she said.

Miss Campbell can go onto represent Australia in Abu Dhabi next year if she is selected for the “Skillaroos” team.

She plans to continue to put in extra hours of training in a bid to make the team.

Future electrician Callum Clayton took out gold in the VETiS Electrotechnology competition. Callum is currently completing his HSC exams but still managed to go to Melbourne for the nationals.

He took out first place in the regional competition and said the nationals were a “big step up” in terms of the level of competition.

There were five in his section and Callum was surprised and proud to take out first place.

His skills were tested over three days with tests including wiring switches and powerpoints, soldering, making a tool box and conduit work (installing a tube used to protect electrical wiring).

Callum is in the process of applying for electrician apprenticeships which he hopes to start once completing his HSC exams.

Electrical work runs in his family with his dad the headteacher at TAFE and his brother taking out silver at the WorldSkills National Competition last year.

Another Riverina student, Jackson Kirby from Leeton, took out silver in the Electrical Control competition.