SkillPLUMB heats end with victorious George

The final 2013 SkillPLUMB regional heat has named 20-year old George Caddick as the South’s best young plumber, after a close-run event at Bridgwater College on 26 June.

George, an apprentice with Blue Bay Plumbing and Heating and studying at Cornwall College, scored most highly out of nine competitors who went head-to-head in a plumbing task to install a small central heating system.

Second place was awarded to Jon-Marc Sullivan of Sullivan Plumbing and Heating and K College, with the third place slot going to Lee Hopper of Mid Kent College.

“I was just happy to finish the task, never mind to have won!”said George. “It’s been exciting and hard at times but I’ve learnt a lot and I’m glad to have done so well, for myself and also for my family, college and employer who have supported me.”

With the final heat now complete, competition organiser SummitSkills will soon announce which contestants from across all regional heats will be invited to the UK final in November, to take place at The Skills Show at the Birmingham NEC.

SkillPLUMB has the UK Copper Board as its premier sponsor and this recent heat was held alongside SkillELECTRIC and SkillFRIDGE at the Bridgwater College’s Energy Skills Centre.

Neil Collishaw, head of competitions at SummitSkills, said: “The facilities within the Skills Centre were fantastic; they are a great blueprint for other colleges hosting future competitions. We were also delighted to welcome new colleges participating with their students for the first time in Skill M&E. Congratulations to all who took part.”

SkillPLUMB is a feeder route for competitors to potentially go forward and represent their country in 2015 at Brazil at the biennial WorldSkills competition – the world’s largest skills competition.

To find out more about SkillPLUMB visit www.skillplumb.org.uk