A JOINERY apprentice from Poole has been selected as a finalist in a national construction competition being held at Birmingham’s NEC.

Joshua Barlow, 20, will head to Birmingham to compete in the SkillBuild 2014 final after being named in the top three joiners of the SkillBuild regional heats in Oxfordshire. Over 60 construction trainees will battle it out in their trade being put to the test.

Joshua, who studies at Bournemouth and Poole College, will face stiff competition from around the country. The National Final in Birmingham will see the top 10 competitors in their chosen trades, from across the 14 regional heats, contest at the Skills Show at Birmingham’s NEC this November.