Callum reaches final of national competition

Callum reaches final of national competition
Callum Bonner

Painting and Decorating Modern Apprentice (MA) Callum Bonner has brushed past his challengers to reach the final of the UK’s Crown Trade Apprentice Decorator of the Year competition.

He has been chosen along with a number of talented competitors who were judged the nation’s most promising industry apprentices, after competing against hundreds of entrants in tough individual heats held at colleges across the country earlier this year.

Now Callum (19) from Tullibody – a third year MA with Clackmannanshire Council who attends FVC’s Falkirk Campus one day a week – will join eight others will go on to compete at the prestigious Skills Show, at Birmingham’s NEC from November 16-18, with a £1,000 first prize at stake.

The finalists are: Aiden Dearie of City Building Glasgow, Callum Bonner of Forth Valley College of Further and Higher Education, Declan Collins of Dundee and Angus College, Oliver Takhar of Bath College, Patrick Dinham of Newcastle College, Philip Orme of City College Plymouth, Lewys Rawlings of Coleg Cambria and Thomas Pawlowski of West Suffolk College.

The contest, in association with the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB), is the longest running showcase of talent for up-and-coming painters and decorators and this year celebrates its 38th anniversary.

Callum, said:

“I am happy, it will be great to go to the final as I like the atmosphere of taking part in a competition.

“I like training at the college as part of my MA and the lecturers have really helped me prepare for the competition. I would definitely recommend the MA programme and my advice to anyone thinking about it would be to stick in a work hard.”

FVC Painting and Decorating Lecturer, Graeme Williamson, said:

“Callum has done very well and put a lot of hard work into getting ready for the heat. He was unlucky not to have won the heat, but I am delighted he has made it to the final which will be brilliant for him. We are all very proud of him.”

The SkillBuild competition has been running for more than 45 years. The competition sees the very best in construction talent compete against each other to be crowned the SkillBuild winner in their chosen craft occupation.