A STUDENT has made it to the finals of a national competition celebrating top construction trainees across the UK.

Weymouth College student, Charley Evans is one of fifty-four finalists from all over the UK who have made it through to the qualifying rounds, which were held remotely at their colleges during the summer, for the Construction Industry Training Board's (CITB) SkillBuild National Finals 2021.

Charley is competing in the bricklaying category and will battle it out against his competitors on November 16 to 18 at SkillBuild, the UK’s largest multi-trade construction competition, taking place at the National Construction College, Bircham Newton, Norfolk in partnership with WorldSkills UK.

Stephen George, CITB Careers Product Manager, said: “SkillBuild showcases the finest young talent in the sector, and this year the competitors will have come through an unprecedented and uncertain time to be learning their trade.

“I’d like to wish all the finalists the very best for their competitions, and for their future careers in this exciting and rewarding industry.”

CITB’s SkillBuild competition are run under the WorldSkills UK national competition framework. The WorldSkills international competitions take place every two years, and will hold its delayed 2020 event in Shanghai, in 2022.

CITB is an arm’s-length body of the UK Government’s Department for Education and works to research the sector’s skills needs, fund training, and improve standards. It is paid for by a levy on the construction industry itself.