Apprentice Sophie on the rise in skills competition
Mon, 09 June 2025
Construction apprentice at Tameside College takes top prize in prestigious competition.
Sophie Lownds, a painting and decorating apprentice at the college, recently took 2nd place in the prestigious SkillBuild regional finals, in her category.
Sophie, who works as an apprentice with G L Peace Decorators, took part in the competition on 13th May, at Burnley College.
SkillBuild is organized by the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) and is the UK's largest construction skills competition. The competition includes painting and decorating, bricklaying and carpentry categories.
Regional qualifiers are held across the UK each year, from which national finalists are selected. Sophie will learn if she has progressed to the finals once her score has been collated against other competitors nationally.
Darren Anderson, painting and decorating teacher at Tameside College, said: “We’re incredibly proud of Sophie for her performance in the SkillBuild regional finals. Taking second place in such a high level competition is a fantastic achievement and a testament to her talent, dedication and the hard work she puts into her apprenticeship. Competitions like this give students the opportunity to push their skills to the next level. Sophie has a bright future ahead and we’re all rooting for her as she waits to hear if she’s made it to the finals.”
To find out more about apprenticeships at Tameside College, visit the college website or call 0161 908 6600.