A carpentry apprentice has been selected as a finalist in a national construction competition.

Paulo Pinhal, of Second Avenue, Queenborough, will head to Birmingham next month to compete in SkillBuild 2014.

The 20-year-old, an apprentice at Carillion in Sittingbourne for the past three years, will battle it out with 60 other builder trainees.

He takes his place in the contest after winning regional heats in which he had to create a roof using joinery work.

If he triumphs in the West Midlands it will lead to a trip to Abu Dhabi in 2016 for the world SkillBuild finals.

Paulo said: “I’m very confident. I’ve won three regionals in a row, but this will be the first time I’ve appeared in a national final.

“I’ve got nothing to lose and I quite like the thought of going to Abu Dhabi to show what I can on the world stage.”

The finals take place at the NEC in Birmingham from Thursday, November 13 to Saturday, November 15.

Paulo doesn’t know what he’ll be tasked to build, but he will face stiff competition with wall and floor tilers, painters and decorators also being put to the test.

SkillBuild was set up nearly 40 years ago to seek out the best young tradesmen across the country.

It’s organised and supported by the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB), the Sector Skills Council and Industry Training Board for the construction industry.