The Apprentice Decorator of the Year competition is back, with the nation’s best budding painters and decorators from colleges across the UK taking part.

Crown Paints has now been supporting the contest for 40 years. The company has a full calendar of activities from special training days at Crown HQ to exclusive offers and deals via its network of 150 Crown Decorating Centres.

Apprentices will soon be taking part in one of 11 regional heats of the competition, which is organised by Worldskills and the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) and sponsored by Crown Paints, together with other industry leaders such as British Gypsum.

The competition will test apprentices on their decorating technique, accuracy and attention to detail.

Designs are carefully created to test multiple skills and have changed over the years to mirror the fashions of the time or key events, such as last year’s design inspired by the 100 year anniversary of the end of World War 1.

11 regional heats began at Belfast Metropolitan College on 22nd March and will conclude at South Devon College on 13th June 2019.

The final will be held during this year’s WorldSkills UK LIVE, at Birmingham’s NEC over three days from 21st to 23rd November 2019.