At 19, Currarong’s Riley Watson will soon be a qualified plumber, and is completing his trade this year.

Riley will represent Shoalhaven and the Illawarra at the Australian championships in June thanks to his efforts at the regional tournament.

“I am proud, I surprised myself,” Riley said.

“I like doing stuff right the first time.”

Everyone in Riley’s plumbing course from TAFE took part in the competition.

They were given a job with various measurements to follow.

His work was pressure-tested, and came up trumps.

Martin Butterworth of Reece Plumbing, Central Nowra, has equipped him with $1000 worth of tools for the next round of the tournament.

“He gave me a heap of tools to take to the national competition,” Riley said.

“It’s great to have the support, I wouldn’t be able to do it without him.” 

Riley attended the three-day training camp at Bathurst to prepare to face the best young tradespeople in the country.

Riley has his dad, Steve Watson, to thank, for passing down the tricks of the trade.

He works with his dad and two of his brothers, and hopes one day to take on the family business.

“We have heaps of work on at the moment,” Riley said.

“A lot of it is local, in Currarong, Callala and Culburra. We subcontract for council sometimes too, so that takes us everywhere in the Shoalhaven.”