Podium places for SERC at SkillBuild NI Regional Qualifier Competition 2026

Students from South Eastern Regional College (SERC) are celebrating their wins at the Construction Industry Training Board NI (CITB NI) annual SkillBuild NI Regional Qualifier Competition 2026 hosted at Southern Regional College’s (SRC), Greenbank Campus in Newry.

SERC had 16 competitors representing the college in eight of the 11 disciplines and came away with four first places, one second place and two third place wins.  

In the Fire Installation competition, team SERC lifted all podium places led by 1st place, Ryan Tang (Bangor) employed by BPS; 2nd place, Owen Brady (Lisburn) employed by Elmwood Protection Services; and 3rd place, Milo Turkington (Lurgan) employed by Northtech. All three apprentices are completing the Level 3 Apprenticeship NI in Fire & Security.

First places also went to Fergal Gilmore (Portaferry) in Bricklaying, a Level 2 Apprenticeship NI in Bricklaying employed by JP Construction; Joshua Sanderson (Newcastle) in Electrical Installation, a Level 3 Apprenticeship NI in Electrical employed by Irwins M&E; and David Johnston (Saintfield)  in Plastering, a Level 3 Apprenticeship NI in Plastering employed by Andrew Gill.

The final 3rd place on the podium went to Matthew Rutherford (Bangor) for Carpentry, a Level 3 Apprenticeship NI in Carpentry & Joinery employed by Gareth McCartney.

Also to be commended and celebrated were nine more competitors from SERC who had reached the Regional Qualifier Competition of SkillBuild. These included, in Cabinet Making - David Magee (Hillsborough) employed by GR Contracts Dromara, and Taylor Simpson (Lisburn) employed by Timbermark Lisburn - both Level 3 Apprenticeship NI in Carpentry & Joinery; Joinery – Aaron Emerson (Craigavon) employed by HICS Properties Ltd Irvinestown  – Level 3 Diploma in Carpentry & Joinery; Carpentry - Shea Murphy (Castlewellan) employed by Niall Murphy - Level 2 Apprenticeship in Carpentry and Joinery; and Odhran Barlow (Loughinisland) employed by Magorrian Construction – Level 3 Apprenticeship NI in Carpentry & Joinery; Plumbing - Alfie Carey (Lisburn) employed by JF Mechanical - Level 2 NI Traineeship in Plumbing; and Fire Installation – Daniel Bell (Newtownards) employed by Specialised Fire & Security; Cameron Jones (Newtownards) employed by Diamond Fire & Security; and Samuel Gilmore (Comber) employed by Specialised Fire & Security - all completing Level 3 Apprenticeship NI Fire & Security.

Francis Rice, Principal Lecturer, School of the Built Environment at SERC said, “We are absolutely thrilled with the wins for SERC at the SkillBuild NI Qualifier. Congratulations to all the winners and to those who made it to the regional qualifier, an achievement which we also celebrate.  

“We are of course immensely proud of our SERC team. To achieve four 1st places, one 2nd and two 3rd place wins across five of the eight competition areas that we had entrants is amazing. We wish everyone continued success if selected to represent Northern Ireland in the SkillBuild UK National Final.”

Francis concluded, “I would also like to congratulate and say thank you to all the lecturing teams across SERC who have put in extra time teaching and mentoring the apprentices for this competition, and to all the employers who have supported our students’ participation.”