News

The SkillBuild 2026 National Finalists have been announced. After competing among the best of the best at this year’s SkillBuild Regional Qualifiers, the finalists from across the UK will fight for the winning place at the SkillBuild National Finals in November.

Delivered by CITB, SkillBuild is the largest and longest-running industry skills competition in the UK and has become a flagship event for showcasing talent in the construction industry. 

Around 700 students battled it out across 10 construction trade categories, including bricklaying and carpentry during the 17 Regional Qualifiers this year. 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 November 17-19, where the 10 winners will be crowned top of their trade.

The final is three days long and will see competitors constructing a project within 18 hours. There will be a panel made up of expert judges who will be assessing them on a number of characteristics, including technical ability, time management, problem solving, working under pressure, and compliance with health and safety requirements. 

Earlier this year, CITB released its Industry Picture 2026, which highlights that, to secure the construction industry’s future and deliver on national ambitions, the sector must invest more in people, modernise its approach to skills and training, and work collaboratively across the sector. Events such as SkillBuild are only made possible through a unified effort between industry stakeholders and educators and are more important than ever to showcase the talent within the industry and spotlight the opportunities available.

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.

“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.”

CITB would like to thank all the fantastic sponsors, supporters and strategic partners of this year’s SkillBuild competitions:

BAL Adhesives, Band of Builders, Brick Development Association, British Gypsum, Careers Wales, Inspiring Skills Excellence in Wales CITB NI, Crown Paints, Festool, FIS, Institute of Carpenters, N&C Nicobond, NFRC, NSITG, Saint Gobain, Schluter Systems, SPAX, Stablia, TARMAC, The Tile Association, Tilgear, Weber, Wienerberger, The Worshipful Company of Masons, and The Worshipful Company of Tylers and Bricklayers & Regatta Professional.