SkillFRIDGE competitors set their sights on the final

The qualifying heats of the 2017 SkillFRIDGE competition series have come to a close and the apprentices and students who took part now have their sights firmly set on the national final, with the top six set to be announced in September.

The competition has toured the UK searching for the very best individuals studying up to Level 3 RACHP, making stops at South Regional College, Glasgow Kelvin College, Cardiff & Vale College, Bath College, Eastleigh College, Grimsby Institute, Leeds College of Building and College of North West London before the concluding heat at North Kent College.

The host colleges, along with equipment providers Advanced Engineering, A-Gas, Fieldpiece, FSW and Vulkan Lokring, provided the perfect environment for the competitors to work to their full potential as they were challenged to display their skills and keep their cool under pressure during two tasks.

The refrigeration task required the apprentices to identify faults and carry out maintenance, whilst the fabrication task tested the apprentices’ pipework and brazing skills all whilst under the watchful eye of the industry judges. The judges at this year’s regional heats were Bob Lindsay (Boulting Group), Dave Bartlett (Star Refrigeration), Derek Davies (EABS/IOM/BSI), Graeme Fox (BESA), Ian Lemmon (HRP Wholesale), Kelvin Kelly (Business Edge), Mark Forsyth (SkillFRIDGE national manager) and past SkillFRIDGE and WorldSkills UK international competitors Chris Bailie, Liam Dean, Steven Burge and Stuart Millar.

SkillFRIDGE competition operating partner manager, Karena Cooper says: “I would like to extend a sincere thank you to all of the colleges, equipment suppliers and judges who have shown a commitment to developing the talent of young people within this vital industry.”

Cooper continues: “Without the investment of their time and resources, the SkillFRIDGE competition would not be possible.”

25-07-2017