SkillBuild 2026 National Finalists Revealed

The roofing apprentices heading to the 2026 SkillBuild National Finals have been revealed.

After competing among the best of the best at this year’s SkillBuild Regional Qualifiers, the Roof Slating and Tiling finalists from across the UK will fight for the winning place in November’s final competition.

Delivered by CITB, SkillBuild is the largest and longest-running industry skills competition in the UK.

Around 700 students battled it out across 10 construction trade categories during the 17 Regional Qualifiers. Each competition was one day long, in which participants completed a task relevant to their chosen trade.

The top eight highest scorers in each of the categories will go head-to-head in the National Final at the Arena MK, Milton Keynes on 17-19 November, where the 10 winners will be crowned top of their trade.

2026 SkillBuild Finalists

The Roof Slating and Tiling finalists are:

• John Watson – S. Niven & Sons
• Calum Mitchell – Exeter Collage
• Luke Lewis – Leeds College of Building
• Kieran Lord – Bolton College
• Aidan Phee – South Lanarkshire College
• Harley Catchpole – Exeter College
• Brooklyn Smith – Newcastle College
• Rudi Powch-Scott – Edinburgh College

The three-day final will see the roofing competitors construct a slating and tiling project within 18 hours. The expert panel of judges will assess them on a number of characteristics, including technical ability, time management, problem solving, working under pressure, and compliance with health and safety requirements.

Robert Smith, Product Manager (Careers) at CITB, said: “A huge congratulations to all the competitors that have earned their place at the 2026 SkillBuild National Final, it’s a great achievement and a testament to their hard work.

“As an industry, we need to get better at positioning construction as an attractive career option. With the increased demand for construction skills, events like SkillBuild are more important than ever to highlight the industry and wide variety of career choices and our shared role in building a stronger workforce.

“The quality of the participants this year is truly amazing, I am looking forward to the National Final and wish all the competitors the best of luck.”

See the full list of this year’s SkillBuild National Finalists. Tickets are available here.

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