Last week Miss Russell was awarded gold for the Riverina competition which showcased a number of NSW TAFE qualifications from electricians to chefs.

"Back in August we competed on a smaller scale to see who would make it to the next level, so I will go on to represent the Riverina now in Perth next August with a team of other tradespeople," Miss Russell said.

In other news:

"This will be a three day competition where they might ask you to achieve a certain colour or tone, or achieve a certain look, and we'll have to do men's cuts and up styling too."

The young hairdresser has been in the trade for three and a half years now, becoming qualified in August this year.

"My uncle is a hairdresser in Sydney with two major salons so he's always been someone I look up to - to be able to work there would be the dream," she said.

Should the Riverina team be successful at a national level, the next step is representing the country in Shanghai.