Trainee bricklayers put their skills to the test in a Guild of Bricklayers competition hosted by Cambridge Regional College

Talented bricklayers from across the region put their skills to the test in a Guild of Bricklayers competition hosted by Cambridge Regional College.

Apprentices and full-time construction students from six colleges took part in the day-long competition designed to showcase their expertise, accuracy and creativity – with CRC apprentice Tom Jenkins winning second place in the junior category.

Tom, an apprentice with Allgood Services in Huntingdon, had to build a brick wall with an intricate pattern, focusing on good craftsmanship to take the runner-up position.

The competition was supported by Tilgear, who donated prizes for the winning students, Weinerberger, who provided the bricks, and the Mortar Industry Association.

John Malone, Faculty Director of Construction and Motor Vehicle Technology at CRC, said the standard of competition had been very high.

“It was excellent to see such a great standard of craftsmanship from all the apprentices, who had to perform to a very high level,” he said. “We were delighted to work with the Guild of Bricklayers to host the competition and congratulations to everyone who took part.

“There is a big shortage of skilled bricklayers nationally – the UK construction industry is forecast to need more than 70,000 bricklayers over the next four years, so it’s a great time to be encouraging more young people to reach a high standard in their trade.”

Competitors from Cambridge Regional College, West Suffolk College, College of West Anglia and Sleaford College will be among those taking part in the industry-standard competition, with West Suffolk winning the junior and senior categories.

The competition took place in the Construction Faculty’s purpose-built brickwork centre, where the college runs a number of specialist bricklaying courses, from DIY programmes to full-time level 3 courses.