25th November 2023
South Devon College is extremely proud to announce that one of its students has won a prestigious Gold award at the SkillBuild National Final 2023.
Jacob Blight, 19 from Plymouth (representing Stormforce Roofing) was crowned the Roof Slating and Tiling champion at the national three-day event, designed to showcase some of the brightest talent in construction.
After excelling during the South West qualifiers in April (one of 17 regional heats) Jacob emerged victorious at the national final at the Marshall Arena in Milton Keynes in November, where he was tasked with constructing a project designed by an expert panel of judges, within an 18-hour time frame.
The project was designed to test participants’ technical knowledge, skills and time management, as well as the ability to work under pressure, whilst adhering to health and safety protocols.
Jacob with his winning project at the SkillBuild final
Jacob is no stranger to SkillBuild, having won Silver at the event last year, returning this year in a successful attempt to achieve the coveted Gold!
Delivered by the CITB, the industry training board for the construction sector in England, Scotland, and Wales, SkillBuild is the largest multi-trade competition in the UK for construction trainees and apprentices, and has been running for over 45 years.
CITB’s latest Construction Skills Network report states that almost 225,000 extra workers will be required to meet UK construction demand by 2027.
Laurence Frewin, Principal of South Devon College, said: “This is such a great achievement by Jacob – his skills have been recognised at a national level, and we send him our congratulations!
“We are so proud of him and the team that helped nuture and develop his talent to become a true roofing professional, and we are sure he will be an asset to the construction workforce in the future.”