Melinda Lethbridge always had a fascination for hands-on work, but felt obliged to pursue a tertiary pathway. After gaining work experience at a precision engineering company, she decided that an Australian Apprenticeship in fitting and machining was a better option.
Now as a qualified fitter and turner, Melinda won a gold medal in turning at WorldSkills Australia’s Melbourne Region competition in 2013, and also competed at the 2014 WorldSkills Australia National Competition.
In 2014, she was awarded the Australian Apprentice of the Year Award at the Australian Training Awards and became an Australian Apprenticeships Ambassador for the Australian Government.