Gold medal success at Skillbuild Finals

Students and staff at the East Down Institute Ballynahinch campus are celebrating their achievement in the UK Skillbuild Finals recently held in Manchester.

Jobskills trainee Campbell Kelly scooped a Gold medal in the Carpentry section whilst Gary Graham achieved a Certificate of Merit in the Painting & Decorating section.

Both students qualified to enter the finals when they picked up Gold medals in the Northern Ireland Skillbuild Competitions held earlier this year. Campbell Kelly is now eligible to go forward for the selection competition to the World Skill Olympics that will be held in Helsinki Finland during 2005.

The East Down Institute Ballynahinch has a long tradition of success at local, national and international level with many students achieving gold, silver and bronze medals throughout the past 20 years, particularly in the Carpentry, Joinery and wood machining sections.

Founded in 1981, Skillbuild is the annual national competition for young people in the construction industry. This year, 120 winners of regional competitions throughout the UK competed in 15 different trades, such as plastering, plumbing, joinery and roofing.

Skillbuild has the support of the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB), the Department for Employment and Learning and major sponsors such as Crown, Hanson and British Gypsum.

Chief Executive of CITB, Allan McMullen commented: “We believe that 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)