Interbuild’s ‘Test The Trades’ challenge is back at the 2007 show for a second year – and this time it’s bigger and better.

This year the challenge will run for the full five days of Interbuild, 28 October – 1 November at the NEC, Birmingham.

Hitting back at skills shortage, this year Test The Trades will see teams of apprentice Builders, Floorers, Heating and Plumbing Engineers and Roofers go head-to-head for the overall prestigious Interbuild title of Britain’s Most Skilful Trade.

Test The Trades will be hosted by original Big Brother winner and celebrity builder, Craig Phillips and is to be staged in a live arena in the Truck and Tool Hall of the show.

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The programme will involve a mixture of practical time-clock team challenges and quick fire question rounds. The overall winning team will claim the Interbuild title of Britain’s Most Skilful Trade and win high value prizes for their college including generous tool donations from Bosch and Dewalt.

“We’re delighted to have Craig Phillips involved in Test The Trades for the second year running. Craig, a bricklayer by trade, opened a Building Skills Centre in Liverpool a couple of years ago – and ran his own construction company for 10 years, employing 30 tradesmen, prior to that. He understands the real life issues, which makes him an obvious face to host Test The Trade,” says Interbuild Event Director, Gordon Thomas.

“As professional trade skills become scarcer and harder to replace, here is a responsibility at all levels of the industry to keep the issues of skills shortage firmly on the national agenda. Test The Trades is a celebration and recognition of the important skills of today’s trainees – tomorrow’s professional tradesmen.”

For more information on Interbuild’s ‘Test The Trade’ challenge, visit the website on www.interbuild.com.

(JM/SP)