Two are top tilers

Jun 26 2009 by Kenneth Speirs, Paisley Daily Express

A DUO of apprentices are heading for a night out on the tiles after proving they are among the best in Scotland.

Gary Harper, 23, from Renfrew, and Alan Milligan, 19, from Johnstone, both wall and floor tiling trainees, notched up big success at this year’s Skillbuild, which is billed as the UK’s biggest construction skills competition.

SkillBuild, which is organised by ConstructionSkills, the sector skills council for the construction industry, aims to find the UK’s best apprentice across a variety of trades, including bricklaying, carpentry, joinery and painting and decorating.

Employed by Pegasus Tiling, in Glasgow, Gary picked up the silver award in his skills category, while Alan, who works for Thomson Tiling, also in Glasgow, won the bronze, at the Scottish heat at South Lanarkshire College, East Kilbride.

The apprentices competed against each other in their given trade to complete a set piece of work within the day, which challenged them to produce accurate and high-quality work within a strict timescale.

The work was assessed by a panel of technical experts at the end of the day when the winners in each trade were announced.

ConstructionSkills Apprenticeship Manager for Scotland South, Hugh McCafferty, said: “SkillBuild is a fantastic opportunity to encourage and recognise excellence, as well as help develop the future talent of the industry. This heat was a great success and showcased the skills of the construction industry on offer here in Scotland.

“We are really pleased with the high quality and standard of workmanship being undertaken by these apprentices – it is testament to their hard work, and that of their colleges and employers.”

Gary and Alan now have the chance to compete against the other UK regions at the SkillBuild national final, which will also take place at South Lanarkshire College in October. National winners from this year’s competition will then have the opportunity to represent the UK and compete in the 2011 international WorldSkills competition in London.

The competition, which has been running for more than 20 years, is an opportunity to recognise the importance of apprentices and their skills. It also provides a platform for employers to highlight the quality of their workforce and their commitment to training – which is essential in the current climate to provide businesses with a competitive edge