City College Plymouth proudly hosted the 2025 Regional Qualifier for SkillBuild, the UK’s largest and longest-running construction skills competition, on Thursday 24 April.
Delivered by the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) and supported by Go Construct, SkillBuild brought together the most talented apprentices and students in the construction industry to compete in a series of practical challenges across a range of trades. 75 contestants from across the South West took part in categories including bricklaying, carpentry, joinery, painting and decorating, and plastering, all under the pressure of a timed, six-hour challenge. Following the success of this year’s event, the College has been selected to host the first round of regional qualifiers for the next four years, reinforcing City College Plymouth’s reputation as a centre of excellence for construction skills training.
Held at the College’s Kings Road campus, the one-day event showcased the technical abilities, time management and problem-solving skills of some of the region’s most promising future tradespeople. Competitors were scored on industry-standard tasks by expert judges, including special guest Luke Mabbot, a trained construction worker and former Love Island contestant, who brought both industry knowledge and a celebrity buzz to the event. The top eight highest-scoring students in each category will earn a chance to qualify for the SkillBuild National Final later this year.
Hosting the SkillBuild qualifier highlights the College’s focus on industry-aligned learning, high-level technical skills and preparing students for real employment opportunities in a growing sector.
Images: courtesey of City College Plymouth
About City College Plymouth
City College Plymouth transforms the lives of up to 12,000 students every year through access to high-quality education and training. With a bold and innovative Vision and Purpose and clear strategic aims, the College intends to impact the community by supporting local employers to grow their industries by supplying a highly skilled workforce that has the knowledge and skills to move these industries forward. Find out more at cityplym.ac.uk.
● City College Plymouth holds the prestigious Queen’s Anniversary Prize for leading the way in marine and maritime skills, and AoC Beacon Award for Digital Innovation.
● City College Plymouth achieved a Gold Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF) rating for its higher education provision in September 2023
● City College Plymouth is the South West’s first Google for Education Reference College. This recognition, announced in March 2022, is testament to the College’s commitment to digital skills and incorporating this into all curriculum areas where suitable.
● City College Plymouth scored 85% in the 2021 National Student Survey completed by higher education students. This is above the national average of 75% and the highest score in the city (source: National Student Survey 2021).
● Ofsted rated the College as ‘good’ in its 2020 inspection visit (source: Ofsted Inspection Report 2020).
