There was notable success for Northern Regional College students who recently competed in this year's Construction Industry Training Board NI (CITB NI) annual SkillBuild NI Regional Qualifier Competition.

The event, which was held at South Eastern Regional College's (SERC) Downpatrick campus in County Down, is designed to test skills, technique and ability within tight timeframes, and identifies the top performers in 11 different trade areas within construction apprenticeship programmes from across Northern Ireland.

Over 100 top-performing construction apprentices from across the region came together to compete in categories including Brickwork, Furniture & Cabinet Making, Carpentry, Electrical Installation, Fire Installation, Security Installation, Joinery, Plastering, Drylining, Plumbing and Wall & Floor Tiling.

Barry Neilson OBE, Chief Executive CITB NI, said: "A huge congratulations to all the apprentices who took part in the SkillBuild NI Regional Competition 2025. This competition is an opportunity for young people to meet with other like-minded people who are dedicated to being involved in the future direction of the industry.

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"It is also an opportunity to encourage and continue to develop the workforce of the future – this is crucial for industry growth and shaping the future. I would like to take this opportunity to thank our partners CITB (GB) and SERC, and look forward to the SkillBuild UK National Finals in November."

The Northern Regional College students who achieved success at the competition include: Daniel Beckett (1st place in Bricklaying), Jeremiasz Guzik (1st place in Carpentry), Robbie Buchanan (2nd place in Carpentry), Matthew Conly (2nd place in Furniture & Cabinet Making), Charlie Fleck (1st place in Joinery) and Alliemarie Conway (2nd place in Joinery).

These results place the students among the top construction apprentices in the region and may lead to an opportunity to represent Northern Ireland in the SkillBuild UK national final later this year.

David Russell, Curriculum Area Manager (Department of Advanced Technologies) at Northern Regional College, added: "We are extremely proud of our students' outstanding achievements at the SkillBuild NI Regional Competition. Their success is a testament to their hard work, dedication and the high-quality training they receive at Northern Regional College. Competitions like these not only highlight the students' technical abilities, but also inspire confidence and a real sense of purpose as they prepare for careers in the construction industry."

Supported by the Department for the Economy and local construction companies, SkillBuild provides an opportunity to showcase the high level of skills and the impressive talent within the workforce, as well as raising the status and standards of professional and technical education and training.