Apprentice Skills Showcased At SERC

On Wednesday 18 January seventy five apprentices from across South Eastern Regional College (SERC) participated in a day long Inter-Campus Skillbuild competition. The event was one of a series of Skillbuild Northern Ireland Inter-Campus College competitions taking place throughout the province.

Competitors representing Lisburn, Downpatrick and Newtownards Campuses were judged by Skillbuild Northern Ireland judges in disciplines including bricklaying, cabinet making, carpentry, electrical industrial pipework, joinery, leadwork, motor vehicle, plastering, plumbing and refrigeration and air conditioning.

The apprentices were set a test project which took a day to complete. At the end of the competition their projects were judged and scored by Skill Build Area Managers. The winners, who qualify from the Inter Campus Competitions, will represent the College and compete at the annual Skillbuild NI Regional finals due to be held in March 2012 in Limavady.

When the results were announced, Electrical apprentice Craig Robertson who studies at the Newtownards Campus of SERC, was celebrating winning first place in his discipline. Daniel Annett took top spot in the industrial heating section.

Stuart Craigan from Comber was the other successful apprentice beating off stiff competition to take first place in the Joinery section. Stuart hopes that his experiences from the competition can act as platform for success at the regional SkillBuild finals.

Carpentry apprentice Mark Hawthorne who studies at the colleges Downaptrick Campus was also celebrating after winning first place in his discipline. Mark will now go through to represent Northern Ireland in the SkillBuild NI Regional Finals in March.

Carpentry apprentice Stephen Mooney who studies at the Colleges Lisburn Campus, with Chris Clarke taking second spot in this section. Both will go through to represent Northern Ireland in the SkillBuild Regional Finals in March.

Adam Lyness, from Dromore, was another successful apprentice beating off stiff competition to take first place in the Refrigeration section. Adam is hopeful that his experiences from the inter-campus competition can act as platform for success at the regional finals.

John Nixon Head of School Construction and Engineering for SERC commented on how Skillbuild benefits the students: "Skillbuild provides a unique stage for the apprentices to showcase their skills and expertise. It was a very successful competition with around seventy five of our students participating. I was impressed with the high standard of workmanship displayed and this was commented on by the various judges and we look forward to the forthcoming Regional Skillbuild events."

Brian McMullen, Competitions Manager for SERC had this to say: "The Inter-Campus Skillbuild competition has given trainees and staff an opportunity to demonstrate the high standard of training on offer at all campuses and I'm certain that the winners of each category will go forward to the NI regional finals and National finals later this year and continue to win their share of medals as has happened consistently down through the years."

He continued: "SERC has a proud record of success in skills competitions at a national and international level."