STAFF at Bolton College are celebrating after a student won a medal at a national apprenticeship awards ceremony.

Student William Zuk, 20, picked up a silver medal for in the joinery category in the WorldSkillsUK finals.

The youngster, who works for Winslow Construction, came runner-up at the awards that took place online.

He said: “I’m really proud, I’ve achieved a lot.

“I was sitting in McDonalds when the awards ceremony was on, and I was just really happy when my name came up by the silver medal.

“I thought my job was pretty good but I didn’t expect to come second.”

William underwent a seven-month process of regional heats and intensive training before stepping up to pit his skills against the best of the best national joiners earlier in November.

His final piece took 18 hours to complete, including the drawing and design work, and he expressed his delight after picking up second place.

College principal Bill Webster was also thrilled to see one of his students shine at the awards ceremony.

He said: “SkillBuild isn’t just a measure of technical abilities, it’s also a test of character and commitment, so to reach the finals and then win silver is an incredible achievement. We are very proud of William and look forward to seeing what he does next.”

The awards saw more than 400 young students and apprentices take part in the WorldSkills UK National Finals in over 60 competitions.

The awards took place last Friday night in an online ceremony hosted by Channel 4’s Steph McGovern at her programme Packed Lunch's studio in Leeds.

The ceremony was held as part of WorldSkills UK’s aim to train young people from across the UK to take part in international competitions.

Deputy chief executive Ben Blackledge said: “These young people are showing the way, they are a true inspiration for their generation. I praise all those that have battled through the most arduous elements of the last couple of years and are still striving to reach new heights in their skills and development.”