NSW has continued its dominance of the national WorldSkills awards by claiming a third consecutive Vocational Education and Training in Schools (VETiS) Shield.

The state’s school students claimed 26 of the 33 medals available to VETiS competitors at the WorldSkills event, which acknowledges national excellence in vocational education and training. Public school students won 18 VETiS medals and one medal in the open carpentry team category.

Overall NSW TAFE students claimed 64 medals and two-thirds of the gold medals. Director of vocational education in schools directorate Michael Hyam said: “The high standards demonstrated by this year’s WorldSkills competitors shows just how strong vocational education and training has become for NSW school students.”

In 2007, more than 54,000 of all Year 11 and 12 students were enrolled in at least one vocational education and training course. More than 40,000 of these students were enrolled in government schools.

Mr Hyam said the “outstanding success” of the NSW students was a testament to “the high quality of vocational education and training delivery available to NSW students”.