BUDE student, Joe Newson, proved that he is one of the best trainees in the South West, following success at the regional heat of this year's SkillBuild — the UK's biggest construction skills competition.

SkillBuild, which is organised by ConstructionSkills, the Sector Skills Council for the construction industry, aims to find the UK's best trainee across a variety of trades including: bricklaying, carpentry, joinery and painting and decorating.

Joe, an apprentice with Brett Davies and a student at North Devon College won the bronze medal in the junior bricklaying category at the South West heat, which took place on Friday, June 26 at Somerset College of Arts and Technology.

The students competed against each other in their given trade to complete a set piece of work within the day, which challenged the trainees to produce accurate and high quality work within a strict timescale — all essential requirements for today's construction industry. The work was assessed by a panel of technical experts at the end of the day when the winners in each trade were announced.

Of winning the bronze in bricklaying at this year's South West SkillBuild, Joe, said: "It was a good day. I haven't done anything like that before so it was a good experience. The project was good but challenging, however I think I kept up with the others well. I think it is good for your CV and future career to do things like this."

ConstructionSkills Apprenticeship Manager for the South West, Gillian Cain, said: "SkillBuild is a fantastic opportunity to encourage and recognise excellence, as well as help develop the future talent of the industry. This heat was a great success and showcased the skills of the construction industry on offer here in the South West. We are really pleased with the high quality and standard of workmanship being undertaken by these people — it is testament to their hard work, and that of their colleges and employers."

Barbara Bennett, Head of Construction at Somerset College said: "I absolutely love the SkillBuild events, I am always amazed by the level of skills that the students have developed and sometimes the judging is down to millimetres."

The competition, which has been running for more than 20 years, is an opportunity to recognise the importance of apprentices and full time trainees, and their skills. It also provides a platform for companies to highlight the quality of their workforce and commitment to training –—which is essential in the current climate to provide businesses with a competitive edge.

For further information about the competition please visit http://www.cskills.org/skillbuild">www.cskills.org/skillbuild