Posted on 16 July
Five Leeds College of Building (LCB) students have made it to this year’s SkillBuild National Final, which will take place from 19-20 November at Arena MK in Milton Keynes.
SkillBuild is the UK’s largest construction skills competition and will see the top scorers from this year’s regional qualifiers compete against each other in their chosen trades.
Delivered by the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB), the competition brings together the brightest new industry talent to battle it out.
The trades on show at the final are Bricklaying, Carpentry, Drylining, Furniture & Cabinet Making, Joinery, Painting & Decorating, Plastering, Roof Slating & Tiling, Stonemasonry and Wall & Floor Tiling.
Only the top eight highest scoring competitors from the SkillBuild regional qualifiers are selected to compete in the final, this year saw 16 regional heats, the last of which was hosted right here at LCB on 1 July.
Reflecting on the success our students have already had during this year’s competition, LCB Curriculum Manager Damien Mason-Harding said: “it is fantastic to see so much emerging talent from across the region.
“To all the competitors, you should be incredibly proud of the skills you have showcased. You are the future of the construction industry, and it is looking very bright indeed.”
The national final takes place over three days, where competitors will have to complete a project under timed conditions before an expert panel of judges.
Our finalists this year are:
Painting & Decorating
Owen Sheldon
Plastering
Kurt Smith
Roof Slating & Tiling
Levente Szasz
Samuel Jinks
Wall & Floor Tiling
Harvey Greaves
Mark Sims, LCB SkillBuild Coordinator, commented, “We are so proud that five of our students secured a place in this year’s national SkillBuild final. The dedication, hard work, and commitment applied by both learners and staff is second-to-none.
“All our students demonstrated exceptional commitment and professionalism, and we were very proud of every one of them. This is a fantastic opportunity for students to really showcase their skills, push them to the limit, and represent our amazing college on a national stage.”
LCB has a fantastic track record at SkillBuild finals, last year four of our students took podium positions.
Apprentice Holly Taylor Whitehead took first place in the Wall & Floor Tiling category, with student Ben Gordon finishing in third place.
Student Alfie Waddington came second in the Roof Slating & Tiling category, while apprentice Wesley Proud achieved a third-place finish in Plastering.
Three of our students took podium positions in 2023, and in 2022 apprentice Zara Dupont came first in Plastering & Drywall.
Tickets for the SkillBuild National Final 2025 will be available shortly from their website.
To find out more about studying here at LCB find a course right here.
