Burnley apprentice in national construction final

Matthew Anderson from Burnley College has progressed to the SkillBuild UK National Final.

A painting and decorating apprentice from Burnley has won a place at the UK National Final of the UK's longest-running construction skills competition.

SkillBuild, organised by the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB), has been showcasing the future talents of the industry for over 40 years, with construction trainees from across the UK competing in their chosen trades, including bricklaying, wall and floor tiling, and painting and decorating.

After competing in the Regional Qualifier earlier this year, Matthew Anderson from Burnley College has progressed to the UK National Final, which will be held at the Birmingham NEC from November 16th to the 18th.

Gillian Brewin, CITB Partnerships Manager for the North West, said: “It's fantastic to see Matthew make it into the UK National Final of SkillBuild 2017 and taking the opportunity to showcase his skills on a national stage.

“SkillBuild is one of many ways we can show the immense talent coming into our industry and attract more young people from the region into a rewarding construction career," she added.

Matthew will now take on fellow finalists from across the UK, with the aim of winning SkillBuild 2017 and to potentially win a place in Squad UK for the international competition WorldSkills Kazan 2019.