TWO Bury bricklaying students are hoping to lay the foundations of their career by competing in a prestigious competition.

The Guild of Bricklayers Regional Heats will take place on March 21 at Bury College, and features two of their students, 18-year-old Bradley Hulton and 16-year-old Joe Higginson, who are hoping to build on their work in the classroom.

The annual comp-etition seeks to rec-ognise and promote high standards in the construction industry, and competitors must complete a brickwork task.

The pair met Tom Smith, a former student and the winner of the 2013 North West Regional winner, to gain some insight into the competition.

Jeff Dunn, team leader for construction at Bury College, said: “Over the past five years we have enjoyed success in this and other competitions and it is a privilege to host this year’s event.

“Students put a lot of hard work into preparing for comp-etitions, which not only contributes to the skills gained on their course but helps give them the ability to deal with the pressures of working in the trade.”