Students from colleges across the region will be battling it out in the UK’s biggest construction skills competition next week.

Vision West Nottinghamshire College is hosting the regional heats of this year’s SkillBuild, aimed at finding Britain’s best trainee tradesperson, on Thursday (10th April).

Taking place at its Construction and Logistics Skills Academy, the event will see 102 students from 20 colleges competing in a wide range of craft-based challenges including bricklaying, carpentry, joinery, plastering, painting and decorating.

The college – which is hosting the event for the fourth successive year – is entering the following 14 students into the heats: Ryan Hemsley, Lewis Ferrer, Ben Herd, Luke Cooke, Sam Bispham, Liam Jones, Tyler Keightley, Joshua Flanagan, Richard Staley, Stuart Brown, Stephan Hubble, Jessica Buckley, Anna Lodge and Francis Hawson.

Success at the SkillBuild regional heats will give entrants the opportunity to challenge for a place on the WorldSkills UK team and progress to compete at the 2015 WorldSkills competition in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil.

Members of the public are welcome to attend Thursday’s event, which runs from 9am–4pm at the venue in Julias Way in Kirkby. Also attending to watch the action unfold and enjoy taster sessions are pupils from local secondary schools.

Head of construction and building services, Julian Walden, said: “There are so many specialist crafts in this competition and I’m very proud to welcome all competitors to our campus to compete.

“I have every confidence in our entrants and wish them success and would like to extend a warm welcome to all members of the public and the building industry to watch the competitions unfold.”

SkillBuild has been running for more than 20 years as a way of recognising the importance of trainees and their skills.