A Forth Valley College painting and decorating student has won the Scottish final of the annual Johnstone’s Trade Young Painter of the Year 2019 Competition.
Kyle Cooper (21) from Aucherarder, a fourth year apprentice who works at Gleneagles and is currently completing an Advanced Certificate in Painting and Decorating, won the title at the event held at Queenslie Training Centre, Glasgow recently (3 April 2019).
He competed against 12 other entrants in an intricate drawing and painting test set by senior technicians at Johnstone’s Trade.
Regional winners are rewarded with £200 and a range of decorating tools from leading suppliers such as Toupret, Purdy, 3M, Mirka, Packexe. They are also invited to be involved in a range of charitable painting and decorating projects throughout the year.
Kyle regularly takes part in industry competitions and this isn’t the first time he’s had success in this particular event – he also won 2nd place in 2018 and 1st place in 2017.
Kyle said: “It was brilliant to win first place! I really enjoy taking part in competitions, it’s something different to do and helps me practice my skills. I like the challenge of being given different patterns and then seeing how the design works out. “
One of Kyle’s Lecturers, Graeme Williamson, said: “We’re really proud of Kyle, he’s coming to the end of what has been a fantastic run of competition wins throughout his apprenticeship. He is going to have a very successful career as a painter and decorator, his brush work is first class.”
Kyle is also very complimentary of his apprenticeship at Forth Valley College. He said: “It’s been a really good experience. I couldn’t have had better lecturers or better classmates.”