Richard Pye, from Romford, and Ross Richardson-Davies, from Llandovery, have scooped the top awards for drylining and plastering at this year’s SkillBuild national finals, the UK’s largest multi-trade competition.

After three days of intense competing at the SkillBuild 2012 UK Final at Preston College last week, Ross, who is employed by Evans Brothers Builders and attends Coleg Sir Gar beat off stiff competition to be named the best in the plastering  field.

First place in the Plastering and Dry Wall Systems final went to Richard Pye, 22, from Romford, who trains at British Gypsum and is employed by BDL.

Richard Pye, Plastering and Dry Wall Systems winner (centre) with Tommy Walsh (right) and David Hall from British Gypsum (left)

Run by CITB-ConstructionSkills, the Sector Skills Council and Industry Training Board, the SkillBuild 2012 UK Final challenges the country’s top-scoring finalists across a wide range of categories including Bricklaying, Joinery, Carpentry and Stonemasonry.

Ross and Richard were presented with their awards by celebrity Builder Tommy Walsh Other dry wall and plastering trainees enjoying success on the night were:

Plastering

2nd place, Plastering – Andrew Gill, 20, from Saintfield, who attends South Eastern Regional College and is employed by William Gill Plastering Contracts.

3rd place, Plastering – Eifion Jones, 23, from Criceth, who attends Coleg Menai and is employed by Pritchard & Grifiths.

Plastering & Dry Wall Systems

2nd place, Plastering & Dry Wall Systems – Ken Wilson, 19, from Belfast, who attends Belfast Metropolitan College and is self-employed.

Mike Bialyj, Director of Employer Services at CITB-ConstructionSkills said: “SkillBuild is a great success each year and it’s always a pleasure to bring together the construction industry’s most promising talent in this nationwide competition. SkillBuild encourages excellence, helps to raise standards in training and is an exciting way to showcase the outstanding talent coming into the construction industry, and we’re proud of all 100 finalists, who have demonstrated work of an exceptionally high standard.”

The main sponsors for this year’s SkillBuild included British Gypsum, Crown Paints Ltd and Stabila.

For more information about SkillBuild’s winnersplease go to www.cskills.org/skillbuild