Brickwork apprentices Conor Nevin wins at UK Skillbuild finals

Conor Nevin (employed by Downhill Enterprises) from South West College Dungannon Campus competed against some of the best young people in the UK to win a silver medal in the brickwork category of the UK Skillbuild competition held in North Wales recently.

The Skillbuild competition is the largest multi-trade competition in the UK for young students and apprentices. It covers nine crafts including carpentry, joinery, bricklaying and plastering.

Following on from recent success at the Skillbuild NI National Competition held in May, students Conor and Phillip were examined on complex test pieces in order to display skills within set timescales.

David Cooper Chairman Skillbuild said, “Congratulations to Conor and Philip in achieving silver and bronze at the Skillbuild UK national finals. Skillbuild demonstrates the expertise that is involved and is an excellent opportunity for young people to compete against each other at the highest levels. By putting forward their most talented students, colleges can also show off their talent and enhance their reputation by demonstrating their construction training is top quality.”

The highest performers in each of these competitions then compete against each other for the opportunity to represent the UK in WorldSkills. WorldSkills is the biggest skills competition in the world and is held every two years in different cities across the world and will be held in London in 2011 

Following on from the bronze medal success gained at last year’s WorldSkills event held in Calgary, Canada by Fermanagh joiner Trevor Woods, a team of eight construction apprentices from across Northern Ireland has been chosen to participate in rigorous training and practical trials prior to potential selection to represent the UK with Phillip representing brickwork.