Apprentices from Newcastle College are celebrating their success after securing the top two spots at a regional skills competition.
Jack Shields and Liam Goodfellow, both in the second year of their Painting and Decorating apprenticeships, came first and second place respectively at the North East inter-college Painting and Decorating competition.
This regional competition, which was held at Bishop Auckland College in March, forms part of a series of nationwide inter-college competitions where apprentices and students compete to be named the best in their discipline.
The competitors’ work was judged by ME Decorating, and the winners were presented with a trophy, certificate and a goody bag from the competition sponsor, Brewers.
First-place winner Jack, who is completing his apprenticeship with Davison Solutions said: “My last competition didn’t go so well, so it felt like I redeemed myself in this one. Competition wins make you stand out from other people to employers, both in terms of useful practical experience and proving that you can produce quality work. In the end, these competitions make me more employable, which is what it’s all about!
Runner-up Liam added: “Taking part in skills competitions like these give me a higher calibre set of skills, since I need to be a lot neater in the work I produce during competitions. It also encourages me to take my time and not rush jobs, which is useful in industry since it makes it easier to produce higher quality end results.”
Jack and Liam’s teacher Andy Ritchie added: “Jack and Liam are both very motivated learners with great attention to detail. They’re both patient, which means that when I give them practice work to do, they never give up and keep working hard until they have the job nailed; I’ve seen their skills get better and better over time. Both Jack and Liam have been put forward for the regional SkillBuilder competition in June, which is great since it’s another opportunity for them to demonstrate their talent.
“Participating in competitions like these helps my learners to build the skills they need for industry, like working on their attention to detail. Doing well in these competitions also boosts a learner’s confidence, which helps to improve the level of work across the whole group since, if lower level or younger apprentices see older students doing well, it inspires them to push themselves more in their own apprenticeships.”
Being able to develop practical skills on the job and in competitions is just one benefit of doing an apprenticeship, where 80% of the time is spent being trained by an employer.
Find out more about Painting and Decorating apprenticeships at Newcastle College