A Ludlow-based carpenter has secured a top award in a prestigious skills competition. Jack Counsell, 19, from Craven Arms, claimed bronze in the national finals of the UK Skills SkillBuild.

Jack has worked for Ludlow-based Treasure and Son for three years and completed a day release college course at Shrewsbury College.

He said: “I am chuffed to bits. My dad and grandad were carpenters so I wanted to go into it as well. I am really happy doing what I am doing.”

Stephen Treasure, for Treasure and Son, said: “We are really proud of Jack, but it is also an achievement for the workshop as a whole.

“The other guys in the workshop give training. It is very much a team effort,” he added.

SkillBuild is the UK’s biggest and longest running skills competition and in 2010 the national final was held at Coleg Menai’s Construction Skills Centre in Llangefni, Anglesey.

The competition attracted some of Britain’s most talented young construction apprentices.

In total, more than 80 talented trainees have made it through the regional heats in order to battle it out to be crowned as the best in their chosen trade at the UK final of SkillBuild.

The competition is organised by ConstructionSkills, the Sector Skills Council for the construction industry.

Outstanding competitors from this year’s competition have been put forward for the selection process to represent the UK at the next international WorldSkills competition.

The contest comes to ExCeL in London on October 5 to 8, 2011.