Competition to find the world's best a perfect fit for Bomaderry apprentice

Mr Bowen won the fitting competition during last year's competition in Melbourne, but has been in the industrial mechanics team with the 2024 Skillaroos.

"It's basically fitting," he said.

Mr Bowen will compete against the world's best young apprentices during the Worldskills competition in Lyon, France, during September.

There were only limited places on the Skillaroos squad, and Mr Bowen said some winners from the Australian titles did not make the cut.

"I had to go through an application process and they decided who were the most promising candidates from that," he said.

Mr Bowen aid he was "very pleased" when told he was in the Skillaroos team.

"It was really quite an amazing feeling, that I'd been able to take it to that level," the fourth year apprentice with QinetiQ Air Affairs said.

"I guess I didn't really expect to get that far."

That was because "When I started in trade I wasn't even aware of it, I didn't know it was an option."

That start followed a TAFE open day that resonated with his lifelong fascination with understanding how things worked.

The support from TAFE and his mentor, David Baldwin, was continuing.

Mr Bowen said he working with his mentor Mr Baldwin on "improving skills ready for this international competition".

"They've started a lot of new skills that I wouldn't normally get to do where I work," he said.

Winning the title as Australia's best fitting apprentice had resulted in Mr Bowen being moved around his workshop, taking on new and more challenging work as his confidence has grown.

And it has created new options for his future.

"It's opened up a huge opportunity for where I can go," he said.

But for now he is focused on the world championships, and raising funds to help cover the costs of taking part.

Mr Bowen said all Skillaroos members had responsibilities for raising funds, and he hoped to get support from the local community.