A lifetime of championing skills and changing lives

Her recognition as WorldSkills Australia Life Member honours not only the breadth of her service, but the profound and lasting impact she has had on competitors, volunteers, employers and the wider vocational education and training sector.

Kylie’s WorldSkills journey began in the late 1990s, shortly after she started her career as a civil construction teacher at TAFE Queensland. 

Influenced by colleagues and driven by a belief in the power of skills-based education, she quickly became involved WorldSkills Australia, running regional competitions in Computer Aided Drafting.  

From 1999 to 2018, Kylie undertook a wide range of volunteer and leadership roles across the WorldSkills program. She served as a regional judge and lead, convenor and steering committee member in TAFE Queensland’s South West region. 

During this time, she became the region’s trusted “go-to” person and a source of guidance, encouragement and practical support for everyone involved in competitions and championships, from first-time competitors to experienced judges and sponsors.

Kylie also played a pivotal role at the national level, attending more than a decade of national competitions as a Queensland Team Leader. Her commitment extended beyond Australia, with Kylie volunteering internationally as a Roaming Reporter at the WorldSkills International Competition in Kazan, Russia, in 2019, further highlighting her dedication to promoting skills excellence on the world stage.

Kylie is known for ensuring competitors and volunteers feel supported, safe and valued throughout their WorldSkills journey, and her passion for competitor welfare is particularly strong. 

Kylie has seen first-hand how WorldSkills can transform lives by building confidence, opening career pathways and setting young people up for long-term success. 

She speaks often about apprentices who doubted themselves before competing, only to return home with a medal, renewed confidence and a clear sense of purpose. For many, WorldSkills became a turning point, leading to business ownership, leadership roles or generational success within family trades.

“There’s so many stories I could share,” Kylie said.

“In the same year, we had a butchery and a construction steel work apprentice return with gold medals – their lives were changed, a bakery apprentice who worked at Coles also took out gold, a jewellery apprentice who competed twice, who is now a third-generation jeweller. All of them had life-changing experiences.

“WorldSkills is about more than medals though – it’s about giving young people the opportunity to benchmark their skills, believe in themselves and see what’s possible.”

Through her advocacy, Kylie has helped strengthen industry engagement in TAFE Queensland’s South West region, contributing to a cultural shift where employers, trainers and sponsors increasingly recognise WorldSkills competitions as a valuable and respected pathway. 

“WorldSkills is an internationally recognised mechanism for young people to benchmark their skills from an industry perspective,” Kylie said.

As a tireless promoter of WorldSkills within education and industry networks, Kylie describes it as the “skills Olympics” and encourages people to get involved as competitors, mentors, teachers or employers.

Although officially she’s hung up the regional lead hat, today, Kylie remains actively engaged, mentoring others, volunteering where needed and continuing to give back to what she proudly describes as the “WorldSkills family”.

Her Life Membership is a fitting acknowledgement of a career defined by service, passion and impact. Through her leadership and advocacy, Kylie has helped change countless lives.

Pictured above: Kylie Lee (left) and colleague and WorldSkills Australia Life Member Jody Ridgeway.