Running for the full five days of Interbuild, from 28 October to 1 November at the NEC, Birmingham, the challenge will see teams of apprentice builders, floorers, heating and plumbing engineers and roofers go head-to-head to win the title of Britain's Most Skilful Trade. 
 
Test The Trades will be hosted by original Big Brother winner and celebrity builder, Craig Phillips and is to be staged in a live arena in the Truck and Tool Hall of the show. The programme will involve a mixture of practical time-clock team challenges and quick fire question rounds. The overall winning team will claim the Interbuild title of Britain's Most Skilful Trade and win high value prizes for their college including generous tool donations from Bosch and Dewalt.
 
Interbuild event director, Gordon Thomas said: "We're delighted to have Craig Philips involved in Test The Trades for the second year running. Craig, a bricklayer by trade, opened a Building Skills Centre in Liverpool a couple of years ago - and ran his own construction company for 10 years, employing 30 tradesmen, prior to that. He understands the real life issues, which makes him an obvious face to host Test The Trades.
 
"As professional trade skills become scarcer and harder to replace, there is a responsibility at all levels of the industry to keep the issue of skills shortage firmly on the national agenda. Test The Trades is a celebration and recognition of the important skills of today's trainees - tomorrow's professional tradesmen."