Eight construction apprentices from the province have headed off to compete in the Skillbuild national finals at South Birmingham College.

The young students will be representing Northern Ireland at this prestigious competition and will be competing against 100 other regional winners in trade areas of brickwork, carpentry, joinery, painting and decorating, plastering, roof slating & tiling and wall & floor tiling.

College represented at the event include Belfast Met College, Millfield Campus, South Eastern Regional College, Ballynahinch Campus, Northern Regional College, Ballymena Campus, South West, Fermanagh College, Omagh Campus, and Rutledge Joblink Enniskillen.

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Founded in 1981, Skillbuild is a national competition promoting excellence amongst young craftspeople in the UK. All students qualified for the National finals via a selection process held earlier this year and gold medal winners at these finals are invited to participate in the selection for WorldSkills 2009 in Calgary, Canada.

Skillbuild has the support of the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB), the Department for Employment and Learning, Association of Northern Ireland Colleges, and major sponsors such as Haldane Fisher, Acheson & Glover and British Gypsum.

Another major sponsor, Snickers Workwear, has provided the clothing for the Skillbuild NI team to send them on their way.

Chief Executive of CITB, Allan McMullen said: "It is a fantastic achievement that these young apprentices are competing at such a high level - they are already winners in their own right and we wish them every success at the national finals.

"Through skills competitions we have the opportunity not only to demonstrate the high levels of skills that young people can achieve, but also continue to improve the standards of young apprentices across all construction crafts for the future benefits of the industry."

(CL)