Harvey’s Lewis Italiano takes out Gold in Cabinetmaking at 2023 WorldSkills Australia National Championships

A Harvey local has been recognised as one of the best young cabinetmakers in the country after taking out the top prize in a national competition.

Lewis Italiano is returning home from Melbourne as one of WA’s 12 gold medal winners in the 2023 WorldSkills Australia National Championships held this month.

Mr Italiano said it was a surreal feeling to be awarded the honour.

“It is still settling in, but it is very rewarding that all of the training has paid off,” he said.

After winning the South West heat at South Regional TAFE’s Bunbury campus in September last year, Mr Italiano was selected to represent WA at the national competition.

What followed was months of preparation assisted by Studio Milton owner Paul Milton, who has taken on Mr Italiano as an apprentice.

Competitors were given few details about what they would be required to make during the championships, with a bedside cabinet being chosen as the challenge.

“It was quite a bit different to what I had been practicing — different joinery and just different styles of doing stuff,” Mr Italiano said.

“It took me a while to get my head around it once I was at the comp, but once I did, I sort of had my plan and stuck to it.

“All the training I had done before has definitely helped me with the comp and that project.”

Participants were given 18 hours to make their projects over the three days of competition, with Mr Italiano admitting the first part of the competition was “really intense”.

Mr Italiano said he appreciated the support he had received, including from Mr Milton who flew over to Melbourne for the contest.

“It was really good to have him there and give me helpful tips, just to make sure everything is going as planned and to keep me on track,” he said.

He will now have to wait to see if he is selected as part of the Skillaroos contingent to represent Australia at the WorldSkills international competition set to be held in Lyon, France next year.