Chris French is most at ease with a paint brush in hand.
The 19-year-old left Rosehill Secondary College in Niddrie in year 11 to pursue a career as a tradesman and has since found an outlet for his creativity as a painting and decorating student at Melbourne Polytechnic in Epping.
Last week the Craigieburn teenager won the Victorian leg of a national competition that celebrates and encourages students completing apprenticeships for his Japanese-inspired mural of a koi fish. “I love mural work,” he said.
“I feel comfortable doing this and I enjoy the hands-on skills involved.”
He will represent Melbourne in the painting and decorating category of the 2016 WorldSkills Australia National Competition at Melbourne Showgrounds in October.
