Chichester College bricklaying student strikes gold at prestigious competition

There was double success for Chichester students at The Guild of Bricklayers’ Southern Region Competition this week. 

Hosted at Chichester College, the competition welcomed competitors from Crawley College, City College Southampton, City of Portsmouth College, and Fareham College on Tuesday 16 April. 

Split between junior and senior competitors, staff and supporters were thrilled to discover that junior competitor, T Level student, Jake Fitpatrick, secured top spot in the junior category, while and apprentice Matthew Stapleton placed as runner up in the seniors. 

Despite being just six months into his course, Jake – who is studying the Onsite Construction (Bricklaying) T Level was delighted to discover his win. He’ll now compete at the national finals which are due to take place in June. 

Justin Sweeney, bricklaying lecturer at Chichester College, said: “I could not be prouder of both of our competitors today. 

“From day one Jake has exceeded expectations and is that dedicated to his graft that he often comes in on his days off to improve his skills. 

“It is an honour to be a part of these students journeys and we look forward to watching the nationals in the summer.” 

Both competitors won various high-quality tools and an official certificate to mark their hard efforts during the day-long challenge. 

Helen Loftus, Principal at Chichester College, added: “It was an honour to host the South East Regional Competition here on our campus. 

“The competition proved to be the perfect opportunity, for both our students and those visiting, to showcase their abilities and ultimately take their craftsmanship to the next level. 

“Congratulations to every competitor who took part and a very good luck to Jake in the nationals, we are rooting for you.” 

For more on our construction courses at Chichester College, please visit www.chichester.ac.uk