Black Country apprentice makes finals of competition

Matthew Hill from Walsall has earned a place in the digital final of Screwfix Trade Apprentice 2020.

The 18-year-old, who is studying plumbing at Walsall College, was selected for his passion for the trade, determination to succeed and demonstrating an ability to go above and beyond the call of duty.

He said: "To potentially win the competition is an incredible thought, but to come this far is just as much of an achievement.

"I have recently taken part in a social media campaign about mental health awareness and the importance of breaking the stigma in the construction industry.

"If I win the competition, I will use the prize to learn new skills and further my work in mental health awareness."

Matthew will join nine others for the two-day finals, which will begin on Wednesday, June 24 with the finalists participating in a digital academy day with workshops from specialist media school, Global Academy.

On Thursday, June 24, the finalists will get the opportunity to share their experiences and ambitions as an apprentice with a panel of industry-leading judges.

The winner will take home a trade prize bundle worth £10,000, including £5,000 worth of tools, a £3,000 training budget and £2,000 worth of technology.

Danielle Sweet, Screwfix spokesperson, said the standard of entries had been exceptional and praised Matthew for getting to the final.

She said: "Each year, the standard of entries in our competition is exceptional and all the finalists have proven they have a promising career ahead of them.

"I’d like to congratulate Matthew for getting to the final and wish all of our top 10 the best of luck!”

To find out more on the Trade Apprentice competition, go to screwfix.com/sfta.