18th June 2019
Talented construction trainees from across the South West gathered at South Devon College on Thursday 13th June. They competed in the South West Regional Final of SkillBuild 2019, a national construction competition delivered by the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB). It has been running for over 45 years touring the country looking for the best in regional talent from the construction industry. Trainees were put through their paces during the day under the watchful eye of expert judges showcasing the very best skills in all disciplines.
There were 85 competitors that took part coming from 18 colleges, ranging from Wales to the end of Cornwall. There were 17 students from South Devon College taking part in trades such as carpentry, brickwork, plastering, joinery, painting & decorating, roofing and bench joinery. The standard of entries at the competition was exceptional, with everyone involved competing for the right to participate in the national finals later this year.
In addition to the competition, there were numerous ‘Have a Go’ activities. Almost 400 primary & secondary school students from across Torbay and Newton Abbot had the chance to engage in fun and exciting activities, all organised by Kier, Midas, CITB, Redrow, BAM Construction, Willmott Dixon and The Hub. There was also a trade show with 20 local companies offering information, demonstrations and activities for all.
South Devon College has hosted the event many times now with hopes it will return again. It has become one of the largest in the SkillBuild calendar.
Andrea Colson, Resident Liaison Officer for Templer HomeBuild, attended the competition. “South Devon College have held this for the last five years and I have to admit I was extremely impressed with the organisation by the college and the standards being achieved by the apprentices.”
Stephen Criddle, Principal of South Devon College said, “We were delighted to be chosen to host the Regional Final of the SkillBuild competition, and welcome some of the best talent in the South West to our campus to showcase their skills. We would like to thank the many partners and organisations that supported us on the day and helped make the event such an incredible success from start to finish.
“As part of our ongoing commitment to address a skills gap in the construction industry, this was a fantastic opportunity to highlight some of our exceptional students and their skills, who will no doubt go on to make great contributions in the industry. I would like to personally congratulate everyone involved, and wish the best of luck to everyone waiting for the results.”
The event involved a number of students from across the College who were on hand to help. Food was provided by the Catering and Hospitality students. Students from the Youth Work Practice course acted as mentors for the school children and Travel & Tourism students were happy to act as tour guides for the day.
To find out more about the construction courses the College offers, from apprenticeships to full-time courses or university degrees, visit sdcdev, call 08000 380 123.