Ross Fraser of national contractor N G Bailey - and the Bailey Training Academy - has been named the 2010 winner of the HVCA-sponsored SkillPIPE competition.
Twenty-year-old Ross, who lives in Glasgow and is employed at the company's Strathclyde office, was one of six contenders for the SkillPIPE title who took part in the final.
Second and third places also went to employees of HVCA member firms - Matthew Moore (21) of Wessex Building Services of Shaftesbury, Dorset, who trained at Southampton City College, and Billericay-born Greg Clark (19) of Shepherd Engineering Services, a student at Leeds College of Building.
Also included among the last six was Dane McDonald of SPIE Matthew Hall.
In presenting the SkillPIPE awards, HVCA president elect Bob Shelley paid tribute to the 'high level of skills' demonstrated by all six finalists. He also acknowledged the 'maturity and professionalism' they had displayed throughout the three-day final - which was held, for the second year in succession, at Leeds College of Building - during which contestants worked under timed, 'real-life' conditions to produce a piece of pipework with a mix of temperature controls, commissioning valves and circulating pump.
Marks were awarded for the ability to complete an installation to international competition standard, with due consideration for health, safety and the environment.
Additional pressure was imposed during the third day by the presence of fellow students, employers, parents, manufacturers and other industry stakeholders.
SkillPIPE is one of a suite of four competitions organised by SummitSkills, the sector skills council for building services engineering, under the overall SkillM&E brand - the other three contests being SkillPLUMB, SkillELECTRIC and SkillFRIDGE - and was introduced in 2009 to 'offer heating and ventilating engineers the opportunity to showcase their skills and talents'.
In addition to the HVCA's headline sponsorship, this year's SkillPIPE was supported by Blåkläder, BSS, Durapipe UK, Grundfos, Milwaukee and Monument Tools.