‘Troubled’ Bradford youngster makes final of top building awards

Friday, 12 October 2018 16:00

A student from Bradford College who is building a bright future after a troubled upbringing has been shortlisted for a national award.

Construction apprentice Josh Smith has been selected as a finalist in the 2018 Young Builder of the Year Awards.

The teenager from Queensbury is one of eight young people from across the country vying to take the title in the 14 to 18-year-old category of the awards organised by Youthbuild UK.

The college says Josh left school with just one low-level GCSE due to a difficult home life and school behavioural issues but has turned his life around and is excelling on the bricklaying course he is studying at Bradford College.

The 17-year-old will discover whether he has won the award when he attends a ceremony at the Houses of Parliament on Wednesday 17 October.

Josh said: “I was brought up in an environment where there were issues with drugs and crime.

“This created behavioural issues at school and I was excluded from most lessons because of my conduct and was considered a distraction. I struggled to learn because I wasn’t allowed in classes and was told constantly that I would never achieve anything or get a job which meant I had very low self-esteem.

“My mother was also diagnosed with cancer while I was at school, which affected me emotionally. I would really like to thank her for pushing me to reach my goals and helping me through the tough times.”

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