Liam Whalley crowned the Junior Skill Build champion

Liam Whalley crowned the Junior Skill Build champion

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Liam Whalley 19, from Rochdale was crowned the Junior Skill Build champion in brickwork at the North West heats of ‘Skill Build’.

Liam, a construction student from Hopwood Hall College, beat competitors from all the North West colleges and will now be entered for the senior competition next year.

The winner of that competition will go forward for the national ‘Skill Build’ title, which will allow him to compete in the world championships.

The other Hopwood winners were:

Plastering - Junior: fourth place, Oliver Forman, 17
Brickwork - Senior: fourth place, Haroon Rashid, 28
Brickwork - Junior: first place, Liam Whalley, 19
Carpentry and Joinery Senior: fourth place, Alex Power, 28
Carpentry and Joinery Junior: third place, Tom Wood, 17
Painting & Decorating Senior: fourth place, Andrew Riley, 40
Painting & Decorating Junior: third place, Kimberly Hudson, 17

Hopwood construction students also won a host of awards at the Greater Manchester Colleges trade competition:

• Plastering - Senior: second place, Andrew Fowler, 24 
• Plastering - Junior: first place, Oliver Forman, 17 
• Brickwork - Junior: second place, Henri Jones, 17
• Carpentry and Joinery Junior: first place, Tom Wood, 17 
• Painting & Decorating Senior: first place, Kieron Porter, 17 
• Painting & Decorating Junior: second place, Alex Wilson, 17 

Rob Wilson, plastering tutor, accompanied the students and said: “It was a great day for the students and staff from all the colleges.

"It was a particularly successful day for Hopwood Hall College, as we were awarded the ‘Most Successful College’ trophy for having the most winners and placed competitors of any other college.”