A College Apprentice has scooped the South West Regional heat of a National SPARKS* competition that could see him test his skills in Brazil.

Liam Bennet, 18, of Ebdon Road, Worle, competed at Bridgwater College against nine South West colleges, gaining 170 out of 200 points – 30 more than his nearest rival.

Weston College Building Services and Environmental Technology Manager, Christopher Simpson, said: “Liam has done brilliantly and we’re really proud of him.

“He’s been with us since he was 16 and is now a Level 3 Apprentice working for Weston Electrical Services. The whole electrical team here and at work have supported him.

Liam is now set to compete at a national level in April at Birmingham and if he succeeds is set to jet to Rio de Janeiro later this year for the international final.

The South West Skills Campus (SWSC) on Locking Road is undergoing an £11 million investment.

In 2010, the Construction and Engineering Centre of Excellence (CECE) won a ‘National Training Award’ for the South West of England.

It delivers training in a wide range of construction occupations including, plumbing, electrical installation, carpentry, trowel trades, painting, decorating, plastering, property maintenance, as well as renewable energy courses and apprenticeships.

The CECE holds specialist workshops for training electricians along with bespoke brickwork and carpentry workshops at a resource-based learning centre with online learning available.

The CECE is also a test centre for the Construction Skills Certification Scheme (CSCS) and health and safety card.

There is a 100 per cent success rate for Level 2 qualifications with around 70 per cent of CECE students finding work in industry while others enhance their DIY skills.