Prime minister Anthony welcomed Australia’s top apprentices, trainees and students to Parliament House, recognising their achievements as they prepare for WorldSkills Shanghai 2026.
On Monday, 1 September, prime minister Anthony Albanese welcomed members of the 2026 Team Australia Training Squad to Parliament House, where he spoke with them about their aspirations and posed for photos, wishing them well as they prepare for WorldSkills Shanghai 2026.
Andrew Giles, minister for skills and training and members of Parliament from across the country attended the event, underscoring the national importance of the achievement. Also in attendance was WorldSkills Australia’s patron and former minister for skills and training, Brendan O’Connor.
How did Team Australia Training Squad get to where they are now? Prior to meetings and panel discussions at Parliament House, the squad went through rigorous training and time-sensitive competitions.
2025 National Championships
The 2025 WorldSkills Australia National Championships brought together the country’s top apprentices, trainees and students, celebrating excellence and creating opportunities for international representation. With more than 600 participants competing across over 60 skills at Nationals, members of the training squad had to compete for selection to hopefully represent Australia in Shanghai.
This group of top-performing competitors are set to receive advanced development and training including workshops, bootcamps, and one-on-one coaching with national experts. The Training Squad embodies the best of the nation’s skills sector, demonstrating not only technical ability but also resilience, adaptability and a commitment to continuous improvement.
How the day went at the Parliament House
The official launch included close to 200 leaders from government, education and industry. The spotlight was on 39 apprentices, trainees and professionals along with 35 dedicated experts from across Australia, each of whom earned their place after excelling at the 2025 National Championships in Brisbane.
The evening began with an address from 2022 Skillaroo Rachel Crawford, who shared her journey with WorldSkills that saw her become the first Australian to join the WorldSkills Champions Trust representing ASEAN/Oceania. Rachel spoke about the opportunities the movement created for her and encouraged young people everywhere to follow their dreams.
Following this, minister Giles congratulated the training squad on its achievements and highlighted the importance of the VET system in shaping Australia’s skills future. He also reaffirmed the government’s support for WorldSkills Australia before being presented with a Team Australia jacket.
The evening featured a panel discussion with the Skillaroo Training Squad members, who offered first-hand insights into their journeys so far. They reflected on their expectations for the upcoming international competition in Shanghai and highlighted how WorldSkills Australia programs have transformed their personal and professional growth.
Appreciating Australian skills
WorldSkills Australia has promoted and built a skills culture across a range of Australian industries since 1981. With the aim of driving the future of young Australians with skills, it celebrates and showcases excellence through vocational education and training (VET). The 2025 championships alone highlighted the next generation of Australian skilled professionals and underscored the need to promote careers in the VET sector.
WorldSkills is committed to elevating Australian skills and showing appreciation for the sector through commissioning research, promoting skills, building careers, focusing on education and training in Australia, fostering international cooperation and development, and running skills competitions and leadership programs at a regional, national and international level.
The Parliament House event capped off a four-day development camp, where squad members developed teamwork, resilience and high-performance skills. A visit to the Australian War Memorial offered the group a chance to reflect on service, sacrifice and national pride.
“This was an outstanding event and a great honour to celebrate in Parliament House. Our training squad has worked tirelessly to reach this point, and they are genuinely excited to potentially represent Australia on the world stage,” said WorldSkills Australia chief executive officer Trevor Schwenke.
Looking ahead to Shanghai
The 2026 event is expected to feature approximately 1,500 competitors representing more than 70 countries and regions, competing across more than 60 skill areas. The competition offers more than medals: it fosters international collaboration among young skilled professionals, educators, industry and government, and promotes excellence through simulated real-work challenges judged to global standards. The four-day development camp and the event at Parliament House further support the future of Australian skills.
“I want to thank prime minister Albanese, minister Giles, and the MPs who joined us, and all those who made the team’s visit to Parliament House such a memorable one,” said Schwenke. “Their support means a great deal to our competitors as they prepare for Shanghai 2026.”