A Pembrokeshire College student is officially the best in the UK after winning the UK SkillWeld Final, a prestigious national welding competition designed to showcase the skills of trainee welders.

Steven Kokolin, aged 21, from Pembroke Dock, was crowned UK SkillWeld 2010 Champion after attending the four-day event held at the Welding Institute in Cambridge earlier this month and impressing judges with his natural talent for welding.

Currently in the third year of his apprenticeship with Unit Engineers and Constructors Ltd based in Pembroke Dock, Steven is learning from one of the most experienced and fastest growing engineering companies in Wales.

In the UK Final, Steven found himself competing against the top 10 trainee welders from across the UK, but to get there he first had to see-off competition from some of the best welders in Wales during the regional heat held at Neath Port Talbot College in February.

On winning this competition Steven said: "Going into the competition I thought the odds were stacked against me. I've really enjoyed taking part in the competitions and have received a huge amount of support from both my employer and my tutors at college."

When asked what lies ahead for Steven, who is due to finish his course in June, he will be taking it one step at a time and seeing what opportunities come along.

His tutor Mike Tennick added: "Steven will find he is in demand from a lot of employers and his natural talent will ensure a very bright future for him in the welding industry. Steven is a rare breed who wants to be the best, there are a lot of tidy welders in Pembrokeshire, but Steven is in a different class."

Mike continued: "Steven has achieved something unique. Not many people receive this prestigious award and can put SkillWeld UK Champion on their CV. His achievement is even more of an accomplishment given the limited amount of time that he had to prepare for the competitions with a full-time job and structured training at the Mitec Centre."