What is SkillBuild?
All you need to know about the upcoming regional and national competitions.
SkillBuild
SkillBuild, delivered by CITB, is the largest multi-trade skills competition in the UK for construction trainees and apprentices.
Register now for SkillBuild 2023!
The largest construction competition for apprentices and full-time learners in the UK is back and this year it’s even bigger and better!
Register now to compete in your nearest Regional Qualifier taking place in 13 locations across the UK. Tutors and employers can enter on behalf of apprentices and learners, too.
With 10 different trade categories to compete in, and two brand-new level one Bricklaying and Wall and Floor Tiling competition categories, there’s something for everyone.
Registration is open until 1 April 2023.
The SkillBuild competition categories are:
- Bricklaying
- Bricklaying (Level 1)
- Furniture & Cabinet Making
- Carpentry
- Joinery
- Painting & Decorating
- Plastering
- Plastering & Drywall Systems
- Roof Slating & Tiling
- Stonemasonry
- Wall & Floor Tiling
- Wall & Floor Tiling (Level 1)
Regional Heats – dates and locations / Contact Us / What is SkillBuild? / How does the competition work? / FAQs
How does the SkillBuild competition work?
The Regional Qualifiers run UK-wide, from April to June each year. These one-day events bring together apprentices and trainees who complete a set task relevant to their trade. Once the Qualifiers have finished, the marks are collated and the eight highest-scoring competitors in each specialist skill go through to the next round – the SkillBuild National Final.
For additional information read the Skillbuild competition rules (PDF, 215KB)
What are the benefits of entering the SkillBuild competition?
Learner and apprentice benefits:
- Improve technical and employability skills and add to your CV
- Learn new skills in your chosen trade
- Test yourself against other learners
- Compete in a friendly, diverse and inspirational environment
- Advanced career options
College and training provider benefits:
Through the commitment and show of support you extend to your student to compete you are contributing to:
- Empower your students and apprentices to work efficiently under pressure
- Demonstrate to OFSTED how you are meeting the common inspection framework standards by using competition activity to deliver high quality training
- Assess your students’ and apprentices’ functional skills against real life work scenarios
- Showcase the quality of your training programmes through success in competitions
- Provide a unique way of combining teaching, learning and assessment to achieve real results for learners and apprentices of all ages and abilities
Employer benefits:
- Boost your long-term business performance
- Teach your apprentice to work efficiently under pressure
- Highlight your organisations commitment to raising standards in work-based learning.
- Raise your apprentice’s standards to an international level
- Transform your apprentice’s skill set
Thursday 27 April 2023 – South Devon College
Trade competitions available in:
- Bricklaying
- Bricklaying (Level 1)
- Furniture & Cabinet Making
- Carpentry
- Joinery
- Painting & Decorating
- Roof Slating & Tiling
Tuesday 2 May 2023 – Eastern Region Training Group and City of Oxford College
Trade competitions available in:
Eastern Region Training Group
- Roof Slating & Tiling
City of Oxford College
- Furniture & Cabinet Making
Thursday 4 May 2023 – East Coast College (Lowestoft Campus)
Trade competitions available in:
- Bricklaying
- Carpentry
- Joinery
- Painting & Decorating
Thursday 11 May 2023 – Lewisham College (Deptford Campus)
Trade competitions available in:
- Bricklaying
- Bricklaying (Level 1)
- Carpentry
- Joinery
- Painting & Decorating
- Plastering
- Plastering & Drywall Systems
- Wall & Floor Tiling
- Wall & Floor Tiling (Level 1)
Tuesday 16 May 2023 - North West Regional College (Greystone Campus, Northern Ireland)
Trade competitions available in:
- Bricklaying
- Furniture & Cabinet Making
- Carpentry
- Joinery
- Painting & Decorating
- Plastering
- Plastering & Drywall Systems
- Wall & Floor Tiling
Tuesday 23 May 2023 - Barnsley College (The Cube)
Trade competitions available in:
- Bricklaying
- Bricklaying (Level 1)
- Furniture & Cabinet Making
- Carpentry
- Joinery
- Painting & Decorating
- Plastering
- Plastering & Drywall Systems
- Stonemasonry
- Wall & Floor Tiling
- Wall & Floor Tiling (Level 1)
Thursday 1 June 2023 - Edinburgh College (Granton Campus)
Trade competitions available in:
- Furniture & Cabinet Making
- Carpentry
- Joinery
- Painting & Decorating
- Wall & Floor Tiling
- Wall & Floor Tiling (Level 1)
Thursday 1 June 2023 - Edinburgh College (Forthside Campus)
Trade competitions available in:
- Bricklaying
- Plastering
- Plastering & Drywall Systems
- Roof Slating & Tiling
- Stonemasonry
Tuesday 6 June 2023 - Gower College Swansea
Trade competitions available in:
- Bricklaying
- Furniture & Cabinet Making
- Carpentry
- Joinery
- Painting & Decorating
- Plastering
- Plastering & Drywall Systems
- Stonemasonry
- Wall & Floor Tiling
Thursday 8 June 2023 - Coleg Menai (Llangefni Campus)
Trade competitions available in:
- Bricklaying
- Bricklaying (Level 1)
- Furniture & Cabinet Making
- Carpentry
- Joinery
- Painting & Decorating
- Plastering
- Plastering & Drywall Systems
- Stonemasonry
- Wall & Floor Tiling
Thursday 15 June 2023 - South Gloucestershire and Stroud College (Filton & Stroud Campuses)
Trade competitions available in:
Filton Campus
- Bricklaying
- Carpentry
- Painting & Decorating
- Plastering
- Wall & Floor Tiling
- Wall & Floor Tiling (Level 1)
Stroud Campus
- Joinery
Tuesday 20 June 2023 – Preston College
Trade competitions available in:
- Bricklaying
- Bricklaying (Level 1)
- Carpentry
- Joinery
- Painting & Decorating
- Plastering
- Plastering & Drywall Systems
- Wall & Floor Tiling
- Wall & Floor Tiling (Level 1)
Thursday 22 June 2023 – Hartlepool College of Further Education
Trade competitions available in:
- Bricklaying
- Bricklaying (Level 1)
- Carpentry
- Joinery
- Painting & Decorating
- Plastering & Drywall Systems
Tuesday 27 June – Simian Risk, Warrington
Trade competitions available in:
- Roof Slating & Tiling
Thursday 29 June 2023 – Leeds College of Building (South Bank & North Street Campuses)
Trade competitions available in:
Southbank Campus
- Bricklaying
- Bricklaying (Level 1)
- Roof Slating & Tiling
North Street Campus
- Carpentry
- Joinery
- Painting & Decorating
- Plastering
- Plastering & Drywall Systems
- Wall & Floor Tiling
Get involved
Interact with the competition across social media by using the hashtag #SkillBuild2023.
Make sure to check out Go Construct on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube to keep up-to-date with the latest news and highlights of the competition.
If you have any questions about SkillBuild 2023, get in touch with us at skillbuild@citb.co.uk.