A level-four joinery trainee at the Okakarara Vocational Training Centre is stepping onto the international stage after winning gold at Namibia's National Skills Competition.

Muvatere Ngaujake will represent Namibia at the WorldSkills Competition in Shanghai, China, next month.

For Ngaujake, the journey to the WorldSkills Competition has been one of determination, competition and continuous learning.

The level-four joinery trainee first proved his ability at the regional level before winning gold at the 2025 National Skills Competition in Swakopmund.

"Being a gold medal winner for the national level, it feels so great, and I'm willing to learn more when I'm going to compete at the international level, as well as to showcase my talent and to give a competition at the international level."

That victory secured his place on Namibia's team for the WorldSkills Competition, which will take place in Shanghai from the 22 to the 27 of September.

But competing against some of the world's strongest skills competitors will require more than talent.

However, his preparation has already taken him beyond the Okakarara workshop.

"The preparation has already started. We started first at Trendwood Joinery in Windhoek, whereby I was trained more on straight cutting and speed. Now we are at our centre here; we are doing drawings. So they're training me on how to read the drawings."

For his instructor, Rowland Tjivikua, Ngaujake's success is the result of hard work, discipline and willingness to learn.

"He's an interesting person, hard-working, and smart, and he's a fast learner. And with working with such a person, it's very easy to achieve something. I will say now we are standing at a percentage-wise 80%. There are still a few things that I need to iron out."

With less than a month remaining before the WorldSkills Competition in Shanghai, Ngaujake is sharpening his skills, building his confidence and preparing to compete against some of the world's best young craftsmen.

For him, the competition is not only about winning a medal but also about learning, gaining international experience and putting Namibian vocational skills on the global stage.