ASPIRING plumbers at Wiltshire College’s Trowbridge Campus went against the clock in a competition to mark World Plumbing Day last week.

Students from Wiltshire College’s Salisbury and Trowbridge campuses competed against Gloucestershire College, Swindon College, South Gloucestershire and Stroud College and City of Bristol College to correctly fix and plumb in a radiator in the quickest time.

The event, organised by the Skills Funding Agency, was as part of National Apprenticeship Week, with the Trowbridge competition following the opening of Wiltshire College’s new £3.6 million Construction Skills Centre.

Ronan Willcox, apprentice with Salisbury-based SGS Heating & Electrical, took the honours within Wiltshire College, clocking 35 minutes 10 seconds at Salisbury’s Tollgate Centre, while Jamie Rawlings came out on top at Trowbridge campus in a time of 40 minutes 10 seconds

Steve Johnson, of Energy-Tec Ltd, helped to judge the Salisbury event with lecturer Roger Batchelor, while Hugh Nokes and Gerald McVey of Renelec assisting with the Trowbridge judging, with both Wiltshire College winners receiving a £50 Amazon voucher donated by John Williams Heating.

Mr Johnson said: “It’s been great to be involved in this event. It’s raised awareness of our trades in this country, and it’s been good for the apprentices to test their skills – they clearly enjoyed the competition.”

Aiden Brown from Swindon College topped the overall competition, completing his radiator in a super-quick 26mins 6secs and he will receive a high-spec plumbing toolkit courtesy of the SFA.

Mr Nokes, who cut the ribbon at Trowbridge’s new centre, said: “It was a privilege to officially open the centre and also to support the plumbing competition.

“We take on between two and three apprentices a year and encourage them to come to college before coming to work with us.”