Apprentice forklift technician Andrew Borsato has won an educational tour to the US.

Apprentice forklift technician Andrew Borsato has won an educational tour to the US in Toyota Material Handling Australia's annual two-day national skills competition.

Borsato, from TMHA's Coffs Harbour branch, won the apprentice section of the contest, which culminated in a one-day practical and theory test at the company's headquarters in Sydney.

His prize is a study trip to Raymond Corp's forklift headquarters in Greene, New York.

He is the second apprentice forklift technician from the NSW North Coast to win the award in three years, with TMHA's Lismore branch producing the 2009 winner.

In Toyota's skills contest for fully qualified forklift technicians, three winners won a $2,000 voucher each for skills development - as the top specialists on the three equipment brands within the Toyota Material Handling group.

Shaun Xerri from TMHA Sydney won the Toyota Industrial Equipment final, after last year winning the BT Lift Truck section.

Andrew Redmore from TMH (Melbourne) was first in this year's BT skills contest and TMHA Sydney's Chris Attard won the Raymond skills final.

Almost 200 TMHA service technicians and apprentices from around Australia completed two forklift-service theory tests to determine the final nine technicians and six apprentices who would compete in the finals at Sydney.

Technical advisor/trainer Gerry Larney says the annual skills competition has been running for more than 20 years.

"The contest is designed to keep Toyota forklift technicians at the pinnacle of industry standards," he says.