Bendigo TAFE hairdressing and barbering students have won five medals at the WorldSkills Central Victoria regional competition, cementing their place among the region's best emerging industry talent.
Talented students Izabella Mills and Harmony Taylor secured gold and silver in the hairdressing category, while Brock Clery, Jordan Hardy and Harper Milsom earned gold, silver and bronze respectively in barbering.
The competition is the first step in WorldSkills Australia, the nation's largest vocational skills competition. Eligible medallists may be invited to apply for Team Victoria, with those selected moving on to the WorldSkills Australia National Championships and potentially representing Australia internationally.
Their success comes as the region continues to need more skilled hairdressers and barbers, with workforce projections showing demand for an additional 176 hairdressers across Bendigo and surrounding regions by 2034.
Gold medallist Izabella Mills is already building a career in the industry. A trained beauty therapist, she decided to expand her skills into hairdressing so she could offer clients both services. Since then, she has opened a home-based business, Hey Bellaa, in Strathdale, building a growing client base while pursuing her passion for hairdressing.
“I definitely enjoy hairdressing. It’s high demand in the salon these days and I love making people feel good about themselves,” said the 23-year-old.
“The confidence booster when they walk out of my salon and the messages day after saying ‘I love my hair so much’. That makes me feel really good.”
Izabella chose to take on WorldSkills on her teachers’ encouragement, seeing it as another way to boost her resume. The competition required entrants to complete a cut, colour and hair upstyle, with Izabella's performance earning her the top honour.
“It’s still a very ‘pinch myself’ moment, but winning gold means so much more than just receiving a medal,” she said.
“It represents all the hard work, dedication and sacrifices that have gone into getting here.
“Most importantly, it’s a moment I can be proud of and a reward for everything I’ve worked towards.”
Barbering gold medallist Brock Clery is also already helping shape the future of the local industry. A second-year apprentice at Royal Jim's Barber Shop, Brock balances work and study while building towards his goal of one day opening his own barbershop in Bendigo.
Inspired by his teachers to take on WorldSkills and "see what it was all about", Brock walked away with more than a gold medal, gaining confidence in his abilities and a renewed belief that he’s on the right career path.
“I feel pretty overjoyed. I didn’t expect it,” said Brock.
Barbering competitors were challenged to complete a cut, shave and fade under strict time limits, testing both their technical ability and composure under pressure.
“From the competition, I learned not to worry too much about what people are looking at and more so, focus on what you’re doing,” Brock said.
"It made me feel more confident and comfortable in what I can do.
“I’m probably most proud of my second haircut doing a scissor flowy haircut. Techniques I used were more of texturizing, thinning out and overall shaping instead of just cutting and seeing where it goes.”
The 17-year-old was introduced to barbering by his mum, who was also a barber, and has been around the trade from a young age.
"School didn't work out for me and barbering was the better option," he said.
"I love talking to clients and making connections. My favourite thing is probably doing scissor haircuts.
“Eventually once I qualify from TAFE, I’ll hopefully save up a bit of money open up a shop somewhere here in Bendigo.”
Hairdressing and barbering courses are available at Bendigo TAFE’s City Campus, where students gain hands-on experience in a dedicated training salon.
(Bendigo TAFE barbering competitors with judges, timekeeper and teacher at the 2026 WorldSkills Regional Competition.)
(Bendigo TAFE hairdressing competitors with judges and teacher at the 2026 WorldSkills Regional Competition.)
