Fine artist turned trainee tiler shows ‘no reason women can’t work in trades’ as she claims gold award

A 30-year-old fine artist who turned her hand to wall and floor tiling has won a gold medal at a skills competition for people learning building trades.

Rebecca Gavigan, a 30-year-old with a first-class honours degree in fine art, is now in the first year of a tiling traineeship at the North West Regional College’s Greystone campus in Limavady and claimed the top prize at the Construction Industry Board’s annual SkillBuild NI competition this week.

The artist-turned-tiler said her win shows there is “no reason women can’t train in skills that are traditionally male dominated”.

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The trainee tiler, who studied art and design at NWRC before achieving a first-class honours degree in Newcastle, said: “Tiling is a very creative profession. I am really enjoying it. There’s no reason that women can’t train in skills that are traditionally male dominated. I have received great support from my lecturer David McCay and Alan McLaughlin.”

She added: “The traineeship is allowing me to get the feel for the trade and in the future, I would like to progress to an apprenticeship.”

The SkillBuild NI Regional Competition is part of a regional qualifier, and Rebecca could have the opportunity to represent Northern Ireland in the SkillBuild UK national final held later in the year.

Over 100 of the brightest recruits and top performers within construction apprenticeship programmes from across Northern Ireland competed against each other to win in categories: Brickwork, Cabinet Making, Carpentry, Electrical Installation, Fire and Security, Joinery, Painting & Decorating, Plastering Dry Wall Systems, Plastering, Plumbing, Wall & Floor Tiling.

Barry Neilson, Chief Executive CITB NI, said: “A huge congratulations to all the apprentices who took part in the SkillBuild NI Regional Competition 2024 The event displayed remarkable talent and showcased the dedication of future construction leaders. Witnessing their enthusiasm highlights a promising future for the industry.

“Apprenticeships are crucial for industry growth, allowing businesses to shape their future workforce and develop necessary skills. I would like to take this opportunity to thank our partner SWC for the fantastic showcase of the NI talent pool throughout the competition and we look forward to the SkillBuild UK National Finals in November.”

Recently NWRC introduced All Age Apprenticeships which have no age cap and are available for anyone over the age of 16 wanting to start a new career or upskill in their current profession.

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