Six local construction apprentices are celebrating success following their participation in Skill M&E UK and the Skillbuild UK National finals that were held in Leeds last week.

The students achieved four gold medals, one silver and one bronze in cabinet making, carpentry, electrical installation, roof slating & tiling and wall & floor tiling after competing against over 100 other regional winners from all over the UK in each of the construction craft disciplines.

Skillbuild and Skill M&E National Annual Competitions promote excellence amongst young crafts people throughout the UK with all the Northern Ireland Team members qualified for the UK National Finals by competing at the Skillbuild Northern Ireland National Finals competition held this year in April at South Eastern Regional College, Newtownards Campus.

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Skillbuild NI works very closely in partnership with the college network and other training providers in the training process and the identification of potential medal winners.

David Cooper Chairman of Skillbuild Northern Ireland Limited said: "Congratulations to all the medal winners, it is a fantastic achievement on for team NI on the UK National stage.

"These UK National competitions provide the perfect platform to demonstrate the enormous talent we have in the industry and the training network in Northern Ireland, helping to showcase the professionalism of our brightest recruits and industry as a whole.

"We have also to give special credit to the trainers and the training network involved in the preparation of these young people for such prestigious competitions."

The highest performers in each of these competitions will go onto compete against each other for the opportunity to represent the UK in WorldSkills.

WorldSkills is the biggest skills competition in the world and is held every two years in different cities across the globe with the next event being held in London in October. Seven young people from Northern Ireland have been selected as members of Team UK for WorldSkills London 2011 Competition.

Amongst these team members three Northern Ireland students are from the construction categories having competed and excelled in the Skillbuild NI competitions structure over the past few years.

(CD/BMcC)