rganised by the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB), SkillBuild has been showcasing the talents of the country’s best apprentices for over 35 years.
Over 80 construction trainees battled it out at The Skills Show at Birmingham NEC on 16-18 November. A variety of construction trades were put to the test, including bricklaying, wall and floor tiling and painting and decorating.Braden Connolly, CITB Director of Product and Services said: “The standard at this year’s SkillBuild final was one of the best we have ever seen. The competition gave contestants the opportunity to showcase their skills and highlight the role their trade plays in the modern construction industry.
“Congratulations to Sean whose commitment and hard work has resulted in gold. I’m sure his success will help to inspire others to join our dynamic and diverse industry.”
A delighted Sean who lives in Ilford said:“The intense training I’d been given by my tutor David Bayly and the other lecturers at Barking & Dagenham College improved the whole SkillBuild Team’s chance of getting to the national final.
“If you’d have told me a year ago I’d be taking part in this competition (and winning a Gold medal!) I wouldn’t have believed it. This has been one of the best experiences I’ve ever had! I’m aiming to become a Skills Champion for SkillBuild to help mentor Barking & Dagenham College students or apprentices entering the competition next year.”
His tutor David Bayly added“Sean was confident within the first few hours of the build which helped him keep his cool in a stressful situation. This enabled him to go on and produce excellent work to become the top plastering and dry lining student in the UK.”
