A total of 39 Northern Regional College students took part in the competitions in a bid to secure a place in the SkillBuild 2022 NI finals in May at CITBNI Headquarters at Nutt’s Corner.
The top three in each category received trade vouchers for £75, £50 and £25 respectively and all competitors were presented with certificates. The inter-campus competition is the first stage of a journey that could result in the winners being selected to represent Northern Ireland in the WorldSkills UK LIVE National Finals in November, and potentially leading to selection for Team GB to compete at the WorldSkills International Finals.
Congratulating all the competitors, David Russell, Curriculum Area Manager for Construction in the Department of Advanced Technologies at Northern Regional College, said: “The SkillBuild competitions are a great opportunity for our students to demonstrate their skills and knowledge gained in their specific curriculum skill area.
“The College has some highly skilled apprentices and trainees, so I’m delighted that we were able to run the competitions again this year to give them a chance to demonstrate their ability and potential and see how their skills measure up against those of their peers.”
Rachel McKeeman, Director of ITS at CITB NI, who attended the event said: “We are consistently impressed by the skills demonstrated by the apprentices and trainees who take part in Northern Regional College’s intercampus heats of the SkillBuild NI. Thanks to the high standards of training and the commitment of the competitors and staff, the College continues to be at the forefront of driving talent in the construction industry.
“Congratulations to all those who took part the SkillBuild inter-campus competitions, especially to those who excelled in their category and who may get an opportunity to further demonstrate their talent in the SkillBuild NI Finals at CITB NI headquarters at Nutt’s Corner in May.”
Northern Regional College 2022 SkillBuild inter-campus winners were:
Joinery: 1st Connor Dallas (Corkey); 2nd Ryan Bowman (Newtownabbey); 3rd Jamie McMullan (Carrickfergus).
Carpentry: 1st John Cross (Ballynure); 2nd Matthew Henning (Coleraine); 3rd Bailey Gibson-Marshal (Larne).
Brickwork: 1st Mark Carlisle (Ballymena); 2nd Jack McCready (Antrim); 3rd Eoin Donnelly (Draperstown).
Electrical Installation: 1st Ryan McKenzie (Islandmagee); 2nd Kyle Hylands (Limavady); 3rd Geoff George (Ballycarry).
Plumbing: 1st Morgan Finney (Newtownabbey); 2nd Harry Thompson (Doagh); 3rd Ewan Hood (Randalstown).
*Photography is managed in accordance with Covid-19 guidance at the time. Subjects are socially distanced for each photograph. Face coverings are worn before and afterwards and social distancing maintained, as required.