Congratulations to the winners of the WorldSkills regional comp

Hairdressing competition 

A great amount of interest in the hairdressing competition resulted in a large number of competitors, so contestants were divided into two groups; those that live north of the river and those living south of the river in Perth.  

South of the river   

Well done to Brianna Grieco who took out gold in first place for south of the river group! Brianna is a young emerging stylist demonstrating great passion for the art of hairdressing – she is a true deserving winner.  

Felicity Hughes closely followed in second place taking out the silver, excelling in colour, styling and cutting whilst working hard to achieve her goals.  

Jade Soltwisch received the bronze medal in third place exhibiting expertise in hairdressing, along with a tremendous ability to interact and consult with clients and colleagues alike. 

North of the river 

Congratulations to Larni Roberts who took out the gold in first place for the north of the river group. Larni shows willingness to push the boundaries and experiment with creative cutting and colouring skills, with a bright future ahead in her hairdressing career.  

Emily Cappeluti earnt second place winning the silver, demonstrating a high-quality standard in her hairdressing skills and exuding professionalism in the classroom and with clients. 

Barbering competition 

For the very first time, a WorldSkills regional competition was held for barbering! Well done to Jonah Cooper-Tims who won gold in first place. Jonah is a passionate and hardworking student, deeply dedicated to perfecting his craft and someone to keep an eye on in the future.  

Nicholas Stronach placed second receiving the silver medal. Nicholas loves his conversations with clients just as much as fine-tuning his barbering skills with his attitude set to take him far. 

Lucas Ackerman received the bronze in third place and his lecturers say he will make a great barber and has been a joy to teach.  

All students are undertaking the SHB30416 Certificate III in Hairdressing or the SHB30516 Certificate III in Barbering, completing apprenticeships in hairdressing and barbering with their employer whilst also training at SM TAFE.    

 On behalf of the team at SM TAFE, a huge congratulations to all of our winners!

Gold medal winners Brianna, Larni and Jonah have been nominated for the State’s training squad to compete at Australia’s biggest vocational education and excellence competition in 2025. Over the coming months, the WA Training Squad will undergo further training with expert industry mentors, supporting them in their pursuit to secure places in Team WA. 

If you’re a student interested in taking part in a WorldSkills competition, speak to your lecturer about how to get involved!

Want to cut out a career in hairdressing or barbering?   

Start your journey with a hairdressing or barbering apprenticeship at SM TAFE. The SHB30416 Certificate III in Hairdressing(opens in a new tab) will build skills to cut hair and expertly style with various tools, as well as learn salon operations.   

The SHB30516 Certificate III in Barbering(opens in a new tab) will equip you with skills to become a barber, including consultation and technical expertise.   

Both courses are delivered one day a week on campus whilst students are employed in a full-time training contract by an organisation to study an apprenticeship. Whilst you learn on the job, you also attend off-the-job training at SM TAFE, providing the opportunity to earn a wage whilst developing a skillset.   

SM TAFE has a real-world training environment and students learn in our live Hair, Beauty & Massage Student Clinics(opens in a new tab) , which are open to the public for appointments.  You can follow the clinics on Facebook(opens in a new tab)  and Instagram(opens in a new tab) .