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Newry's Southern Regional College (SRC) Greenbank Campus will host the SkillBuild NI 2026 regional competition on Tuesday 19 May 2026, with construction apprentices and traineeship students from across Northern Ireland set to compete for top honours.
The annual competition, announced by the Construction Industry Training Board NI (CITB NI) in partnership with Southern Regional College, is a search for the top performers across 11 different trade categories, ranging from brickwork to wall and floor tiling. It is designed to test skills, technique and ability within tight timeframes, while also serving as a showcase of talent and professionalism within the construction industry.
The competition is supported by the Department for the Economy, along with local suppliers and construction companies. Winners from the NI Regional Competition will go on to represent Northern Ireland at the SkillBuild UK National finals later in the year.
Among those helping to announce SkillBuild NI 2026 was Alan Holubowicz, an SRC wall and floor tiling apprentice and 2025 SkillBuild National Finalist, who was joined by Gareth Mone, SRC Curriculum Area Manager, Rachel Dorovatas, CITB NI Director of Industry Training and Support, and Peter Farrelly, SRC lecturer and mentor.
The Newry campus previously hosted the SRC intercampus SkillBuild competition in February, where close to 70 apprentices and traineeship students competed across eight trade categories, with top performers now progressing to the regional stage.
SkillBuild NI 2026 takes place at Southern Regional College's Greenbank Campus in Newry on 19 May 2026.
