The national final of SkillBuild, at South Lanarkshire College, has been launched by MSP for Schools and Skills, Keith Brown.

Also helping to kick-off the competition were 11 Scottish apprentices who will be battling it out to become the UK's best trades' person.

SkillBuild is Britain's biggest construction skills competition and is organised by ConstructionSkills, the Sector Skills Council for the construction industry.

Taking place from 7th – 9th October at South Lanarkshire College, the three day national final will see over 100 apprentices and young trades people from across the UK battling it out to become Britain's best trades person in categories such as carpentry, joinery and painting and decorating.

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The apprentices will compete against each other in their given trade to complete a set piece of work within the three day competition.

Their challenge is to produce accurate and high quality work within a strict timescale – essential requirements for today's construction industry.

The work will be assessed by a panel of technical experts at the end of Friday 9thOctober. The winners will then be announced at a special awards ceremony dinner at night, at Hampden Park.

National winners from this year's competition could then be in with a chance of competing in the 2011 international WorldSkills competition in London.

(GK/BMcc)