Matt is one of the BBM Youth Support Trade Awardees 2018 who currently works full time at Cessnock Smash Repairs, after completing his Certificate III in Auto Body Repair.

The 2018 WorldSkills Gold Medallist, is especially interested in working on vintage cars. Matt would like to use his BBM Youth Award opportunity to travel to the UK and visit a number of reputable vintage car refurbishing companies. He plans to spend at least six weeks with each company in order to be involved in the entire working process and see a project from start to finish.

Matt believes the BBM Youth Award will open learning opportunities in welding, repair and innovative practices, and his goals are very specific;

• Gain knowledge on overseas practices, to accommodate their environments – colder climate vehicle finishes to accommodate ice/snow and salt.
• Learn new international technologies, techniques and skills crafting him into a better tradesperson.
• Increase his value to future employers by gaining a higher reputation in the trade and a specialised skill set in refurbishing vintage cars.
• Return home with various experiences in the trade to educate others on.

Matt’s ultimate goal is to share these skills and experiences with others interested in this field. He hopes to eventually become a TAFE Teacher and share his passion for the trade on an international scale.

Matt also believes in giving back and passing on the opportunities provided to him as a future mentor.

We look forward to following Matt’s journey in the UK.

Photos: WorldSkills Australia

29th October, 2018