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Stephen, a student at the SRC Lurgan campus, was delighted to win the first place in the Cabinet Making section of the competition.

Providing a unique stage to showcase excellence and talent, Skillbuild NI is hosted annually each spring and over 100 of the top apprentices compete to win coveted titles in 13 different construction craft areas ranging from plumbing to brickwork and for the first time electrical installation.

The competition saw Stephen challenged with creating test pieces, designed to challenge the ability of apprentices to follow detailed instructions, produce accurate and neat work outputs, be economical with materials while working to strict timescales – all essential requirements for today’s construction industry.

Alongside Stephen a number of other SRC students from all across the College competed in various other sections, with the College managing to secure an additional 11 medals.

Assistant Director of SRC, Mrs Frances Caherty commented: “The standard in all categories was extremely high and all competitors produced work of an exceptionally high standard. A sincere thank you is due also to SRC staff who put so much time into preparing all the young people for the competition.”

Commending the apprentices on their hard work and dedication shown in their field of expertise, Permanent Secretary for the Department for Employment and Learning, Alan Shannon, said: "Skillbuild is now firmly established in the Northern Ireland skills competitions calendar. It provides an excellent opportunity for the competitors to benchmark themselves against each other and gives the winners the opportunity to compete for medal success at a national and hopefully eventually global level."