Apprentices celebrate success at KFE4Skills Construction Competition 2026

EKC Training apprentices put their construction skills to the test at this year’s KFE4Skills competition, earning top results whilst competing against students from Colleges across Kent and Medway.

KFE4Skills is an annual skills competition spanning three days that brings together learners from East Kent Colleges Group, MidKent College and North Kent College. Covering areas from creative and commercial industries to trade professions, the event challenges students to showcase the high-level technical skills they are developing through their studies.

Three of our apprentices travelled to MidKent College’s Maidstone Campus for the final day of the competition, competing in the Construction competitions for Senior Bricklaying and Senior Carpentry. The students were set complex practical challenges designed to replicate real industry conditions while working against the clock.

Bricklaying apprentice, Connor, delivered an outstanding performance, securing first place in the Senior Bricklaying competition. Despite the pressure of the timed challenge, he said the experience pushed him to realise what he was capable of achieving.

Connor said: “To be fair, I was quite surprised. Coming into the competition, I was nervous but confident, and it was quite close between third and first. I was surprised that I could do things in the time given.”

For Connor, the competition was also an opportunity to build confidence and showcase his skills to the wider industry, explaining: “It definitely puts my name out there and gives me more confidence with what I’m capable of doing”, crediting both his College tutors and colleagues at his workplace, Places for People, for supporting his development as an apprentice.

In the Senior Carpentry category, apprentices Callum and Adam took on the challenge of constructing a complex roof structure built on a stud wall, with each side set at a different pitch. The technical task required precise measuring, marking and cutting, with a large portion of the work completed using traditional hand tools.

Callum impressed judges with his precision and composure under pressure, earning second place in the competition. He described the experience as both intense and rewarding: “It’s definitely stressful, but I am enjoying it overall.”

Reflecting on the challenge, he said the experience reinforced the importance of staying calm during high-pressure tasks: “I think I’ve learned that staying calm is really important. When I’m relaxed and focused, everything goes smoothly. But if I get stressed, that’s when mistakes start happening.

“I think I’ve handled the competition much better this time. In the heats I got really stressed halfway through and almost gave up. This time I’ve been much calmer about it.”

Fellow apprentice Adam also took on the demanding carpentry task, which included creating an off-centre pitched roof structure where the ridge line was slightly offset – adding an extra level of complexity to the build.

“There’s a lot of measuring and marking involved,” he said. “It’s really about getting the basics right and making sure everything is accurate.”

Summing up the day, Adam described the competition as “a bit stressful, a bit of a head-scratcher at times, but also exciting.”

Reflecting on our group-wide success, Victoria Copp-Crawley, Deputy Chief Executive Officer of East Kent Colleges Group, said the competition highlights both the talent of our learners and the value of hands-on training opportunities.

She commented: “Our students benefit from skills competitions as they compete at local level, group level and at KFE level. This helps them showcase their skills, showcase their talent and it also builds their confidence. For me the most important thing is that students are proud of what they have achieved today.”

Congratulations to Connor, Callum and Adam for representing EKC Training and showcasing excellent skills at KFE4Skills 2026.