Held at Southern Regional College’s Greenbank Campus in Newry, the competition brought together more than 100 of Northern Ireland’s brightest construction apprentices and trainees to compete across a wide range of specialist trade areas.
Designed to test skill, technique, precision and performance under pressure, SkillBuild NI provides a major platform for emerging talent across the construction industry and helps identify the top performers in apprenticeship and training programmes across Northern Ireland.
Competitors took part across 12 trade areas, including Brickwork, Furniture and Cabinet Making, Carpentry, Electrical Installation, Fire Installation, Painting and Decorating, Security Installation, Joinery, Plastering, Drylining, Plumbing and Wall and Floor Tiling.
Northern Regional College students achieved success across Carpentry, Furniture and Cabinet Making, and Joinery, with seven students placing in the top three of their categories. The College also celebrated a major individual achievement, with Jeremiasz Guzik winning the Best Young Apprentice Award and Haldane Fisher Cup.
The Haldane Fisher Cup recognises the top apprentice across all construction trades involved in the competition.
The Northern Regional College results were:
Carpentry
1st place: Brooklyn McConnell, Coleraine
2nd place: Jonas Lear, Coleraine, Whiterock Cabins
Furniture and Cabinet Making
1st place: Matthew Conly, Newtownabbey, Mivan Limited
2nd place: Taylor Lewis, Newtownabbey, Mivan Limited
3rd place: Matthew Madden, Newtownabbey, Mivan Limited
Joinery
1st place: Charlie Fleck, Ballymena, William G Crawford Joinery Ltd
2nd place: Mark Woods, Newtownabbey, McCue
Best Young Apprentice Award, Haldane Fisher Cup
Winner: Jeremiasz Guzik, Coleraine, Whiterock Cabins
As part of the regional qualifier, top-performing competitors may now have the opportunity to represent Northern Ireland at the SkillBuild UK National Final, which will take place from 17 to 19 November 2026 in Milton Keynes.
SkillBuild is delivered by the Construction Industry Training Board and showcases some of the brightest talent in construction. Supported by the Department for the Economy and local construction companies, the competition plays an important role in raising the status and standards of professional and technical education and training.
Barry Neilson OBE, Chief Executive, CITB NI, said:
“Congratulations to all the apprentices who took part in the SkillBuild NI Regional Qualifier Competition 2026. The competition is a fantastic opportunity for apprentices to showcase their skills, connect with other like-minded individuals and demonstrate their commitment to building a career in the construction industry.
“Events like this play an important role in encouraging and developing the next generation of talent, which is vital for supporting industry growth and shaping the future workforce. I would like to thank our partners CITB GB and SRC for their continued support, the Department for the Economy and industry sponsors, and we look forward to the SkillBuild UK National Finals in November.”
Mel Higgins, Principal and Chief Executive of Northern Regional College, said:
“We are incredibly proud of all our students who represented Northern Regional College at this year’s SkillBuild NI Regional Qualifier Competition.
“To achieve seven top-three places across Carpentry, Furniture and Cabinet Making, and Joinery is a fantastic achievement and reflects the skill, dedication and professionalism of our students, as well as the high-quality teaching and training delivered by our staff.
“We are also delighted to see Jeremiasz Guzik recognised with the Best Young Apprentice Award and Haldane Fisher Cup. To be named the top apprentice across all construction trades involved in the competition is an outstanding achievement and one that he, his lecturers and employer should be extremely proud of.
“Competitions such as SkillBuild are an important part of further education, giving students the opportunity to test their abilities in a real industry-standard environment while building confidence, resilience and ambition.
“I would like to congratulate everyone on their success and wish them every success as they continue to develop their skills and progress in their chosen careers.”
For further details on CITB NI support for apprenticeships and employers, visit www.citbni.org.uk. Follow CITB NI on Facebook, X and LinkedIn using #SkillBuildNI2026. For further details on SkillBuild, visit www.goconstruct.org.