This week, WiseTech proudly welcomed the winners of the WiseTech Global Programming Competition, and Grok Academy team members to join us for an exclusive celebration at our Sydney headquarters.
Head of Education Louise Nobes and CEO Zubin Appoo led a prize ceremony, followed by a guided tour of our new Sydney office, and a firsthand look at an ASX-listed tech company. The tour was followed by a rooftop lunch where students had the chance to chat with Earn & Learn associates and senior leaders from across WiseTech.
The competition, delivered by Grok Academy, was a huge success, attracting over 1,000 student participants in Australia across two challenging rounds. The results were outstanding, with 15 students achieving perfect scores and more than 120 students achieving high distinctions. Over $30,000 was awarded in prize money across the board. Our top three winners were:
- First Place: Joel Hooimeyer, Year 12, Epping Boys High School – $2,500 prize
- Second Place: Jiayu Hu, Year 9, James Ruse Agricultural High School – $1,000 prize
- Third Place: Anson Wong, Year 12, Killara High School – $1,000 prize
As part of this collaboration, selected competition winners have been invited to an interview for the 2026 Earn & Learn program, our unique pathway into tech for high school graduates, which combines hands-on learning in a paid full-time employment at WiseTech, with university study for a Computer Science degree.
CEO Zubin Appoo spoke to a full house about the importance of nurturing young talent:
“It’s incredibly important that we celebrate the achievements of aspiring tech talent through events like this. We’re showing them that hard work really matters, and hopefully inspiring other young people to follow their passion. It’s important for WiseTech, but also for our industry and for the country, because we're building the next generation of technologists.”
Head of Education, Louise Nobes praised the students’ courage and curiosity:
“I’m so incredibly proud of these young people. Today is about recognizing the effort, curiosity, and the courage it takes to push beyond your comfort zone. These students are already showing the qualities that will shape the future of tech.”
Building important skills for the future
Partnering with tech education organizations like Grok Academy is central to expanding access to digital learning to build the skills young people will need in the future. Grok Academy’s online platform supports over 300,000 students and teachers in more than 3,000 schools across Australia and New Zealand, breaking down barriers to high-quality education and creating pathways to employment. We’d like to express a big thank you to everyone involved in bringing this event to life.
Lastly, congratulations to the 1,000 young people across Australia who stepped out of their comfort zone and put their skills to the test.
Our best software engineers at WiseTech always say that the key to becoming a great problem solver is simple: keep learning, keep practicing, and keep challenging yourself.
Stay tuned for more student opportunities
Head of Education, Louise Nobes, is focused on creating even more opportunities for aspiring tech talent in 2026.