Seventeen-year-old Alan Holubowicz from Tandragee will proudly represent Southern Regional College at the UK National Finals of SkillBuild, the country’s largest construction skills competition, taking place from 18–20 November at Arena MK in Milton Keynes.
Alan, a Level 2 Wall & Floor Apprentice based at the College’s Greenbank campus, is one of eight talented finalists who will showcase his expertise against apprentices from across the UK.
Peter Farrelly, Alan’s College lecturer and mentor, explained what the competition involves:
“The competition is an intense, time-pressured event running over three days. Competitors must complete a range of challenging tiling tasks, starting with a preparation phase that includes self-levelling a floor and repairing a deliberate construction issue, such as a missing wall stud, before moving on to the main tiling work.”
“Contestants have just three hours on the opening morning, from 9am to 12pm, to prepare their areas. Once midday arrives, no further preparation or corrections are allowed. Competitors are marked on this stage before progressing to the practical tiling challenges. These include creating a brick-and-bond pattern, a diagonal tile set with angles defined by the judges and finishing with precise trims and angled cuts to complete the design.”
The competition is designed to test participants' technical ability, accuracy, time management and attention to health and safety. Judges assess competitors throughout the three days, marking everything from workmanship and finish to site organisation and compliance with safety standards.
“It’s a demanding challenge,” said Peter, “but Alan has worked hard and is going to Milton Keynes determined to bring home a medal.”
Mrs Lee Campbell, Principal & Chief Executive of Southern Regional College commented:
“Alan’s success in reaching the UK SkillBuild National Finals is a testament to his dedication, talent and the high standard of training delivered at Southern Regional College. Competitions like SkillBuild showcase the outstanding talent being developed in further education and we’re thrilled to see our students standing out on a national stage. We are immensely proud of Alan’s achievement and wish him every success as he competes at a national level.”
