6 October 2023
Congratulations to South Metropolitan TAFE (SM TAFE) graduate Ana Catarina Mendonca who came fourth in the WorldSkills Australia National Championships in Melbourne in August.
SM TAFE is proud of Ana Catarina for exhibiting her talents in an eventful three-day competition where specialist skills were put to the test with two fashion cuts and colours, men’s cut and perm, a wedding upstyle, catwalk upstyle, street fashion style and much more.
Following encouragement from her SM TAFE lecturer, Ana Catarina participated in the Regional Competition last year, proudly taking out the gold medal before going on to compete at national level.
Ana Catarina completed her Hairdressing Apprenticeship at SM TAFE, gaining her SHB30416 Certificate III in Hairdressing at the end of last year and becoming fully qualified, with a dream to one day run her own business.
With a keen interest in hair and styling, she says her inspiration to become a Hairdresser began when visiting a local salon.
Ana Catarina pursued her passion and is now happily employed and a valued part of the team at Hair FX in Port Kennedy, mentioning her boss as a great mentor who has provided support throughout her Apprenticeship, teaching the basics from the ground up and helping her form a solid skillset.
“I love giving people confidence through a new hair style or look, that helps them feel good about themselves and provides precious time out for a client to get spoiled,” says Ana Catarina.
Ana Catarina is an outstanding example of how dedication and training can open the door to amazing opportunities to benchmark skills amongst peers and gain experience and recognition on a national level.
If you are considering a career in hairdressing, view our courses here: https://www.southmetrotafe.wa.edu.au/hairdressing