Apprentice Skills Showcased At SERC

SEVENTY five apprentices from across South Eastern Regional College (SERC) participated in a day long Inter-Campus Skillbuild competition on

Seventy five apprentices from across South Eastern Regional College (SERC) participated in a day long Inter-Campus Skillbuild competition recently.

The event was one of a series of Skillbuild Northern Ireland Inter-Campus College competitions taking place throughout the province and is designed to test the ability of its apprentices working in the construction trades.

Left to Right Eric Ferguson, representative from SkillBuild NI, Mark Hawthorne, winner of the Downpatrick campus Carpentry category, Pat Phillips from SkillBuild NI, Jesse Dhak SERC lecturer, Stewart Craigan, winner of the Joinery category from the Newtownards Campus, Paul Duffy representative from SkillBuild NI, Stephen Mooney winner of the Cabinet Making category who studies at the Colleges Lisburn Campus, Adam Lyness who took the top spot in the Refrigeration category and John Nixon Head of School Construction and Engineering.

Competitors representing Lisburn, Downpatrick and Newtownards Campuses were judged by Skillbuild Northern Ireland judges in disciplines including bricklaying, cabinet making, carpentry, electrical industrial pipework, joinery, leadwork, motor vehicle, plastering, plumbing and refrigeration and air conditioning.

The apprentices were set a test project which took a day to complete. At the end of the competition their projects were judged and scored by Skill Build Area Managers. The winners, who qualify from the Inter Campus Competitions, will represent the College and compete at the annual Skillbuild NI Regional finals due to be held in March 2012 in Limavady.

Downpatrick carpentry student Mark Hawthorne who excelled in the Skill Build competition

When the results were announced, Carpentry apprentice Mark Hawthorne who studies at the colleges Downaptrick Campus was celebrating after winning first place in his discipline. Mark will now go through to represent Northern Ireland in the SkillBuild NI Regional Finals in March.

John Nixon Head of School Construction and Engineering for SERC commented on how Skillbuild benefits the students: “Skillbuild provides a unique stage for trainees to showcase their skills and expertise and motivates them to reach the highest standards in trade careers. It was a very successful competition with around seventy of our students participating. I was impressed with the high standard of workmanship displayed and this was commented on by the various judges and we look forward to the forthcoming Regional Skillbuild events.”

Brian McMullen, Competitions Manager for SERC had this to say; “The intercampus Skillbuild competition has given trainees and staff an opportunity to demonstrate the high standard of training on offer at all campuses and I’m certain that the winners of each category will go forward to the NI regional finals and National finals later this year and continue to win their share of medals as has happened consistently down through the years.”

He continued: "SERC has a proud record of success in skills competitions at a national and international level and I would like to take this opportunity to wish the students all the very best of luck in the NI Regional Finals."   

The event was one of a series of Skillbuild Northern Ireland Inter-Campus College competitions taking place throughout the province and is designed to test the ability of its apprentices working in the construction trades.

Competitors representing Lisburn, Downpatrick and Newtownards Campuses were judged by Skillbuild Northern Ireland judges in disciplines including bricklaying, cabinet making, carpentry, electrical industrial pipework, joinery, leadwork, motor vehicle, plastering, plumbing and refrigeration and air conditioning.

The apprentices were set a test project which took a day to complete. At the end of the competition their projects were judged and scored by Skill Build Area Managers. The winners, who qualify from the Inter Campus Competitions, will represent the College and compete at the annual Skillbuild NI Regional finals due to be held in March 2012 in Limavady.

When the results were announced, Carpentry apprentice Mark Hawthorne who studies at the colleges Downaptrick Campus was celebrating after winning first place in his discipline. Mark will now go through to represent Northern Ireland in the SkillBuild NI Regional Finals in March.

John Nixon, Head of School Construction and Engineering for SERC, commented on how Skillbuild benefits the students: “Skillbuild provides a unique stage for trainees to showcase their skills and expertise and motivates them to reach the highest standards in trade careers. It was a very successful competition with around seventy of our students participating. I was impressed with the high standard of workmanship displayed and this was commented on by the various judges and we look forward to the forthcoming Regional Skillbuild events.”

Brian McMullen, Competitions Manager for SERC said: “The intercampus Skillbuild competition has given trainees and staff an opportunity to demonstrate the high standard of training on offer at all campuses and I’m certain that the winners of each category will go forward to the NI regional finals and National finals later this year and continue to win their share of medals as has happened consistently down through the years.”

"SERC has a proud record of success in skills competitions at a national and international level and I would like to take this opportunity to wish the students all the very best of luck in the NI Regional Finals."