Oliver Bage and Grant Finch, both 17, are competing for a place in the UK squad of landscape students who will be taken to Calgary for the World Skills final in September 2009.

They have won through to Skills London 2008, which starts today and continues until Sunday. It is the UK's biggest careers event for 14- to 19-year-olds and hosts one of a series of national competitions designed to pick the country's top landscape students.

Oliver, from York, is taking an intermediate diploma in landscape construction while Grant, from Scarborough, is completing an NVQ level two in amenity and decorative horticulture. They will be pitted against students from across the country for a place in the UK squad.

As well as competing individually at Skills London 2008, the pair will take part in team events and will be judged on their ability to build a garden, including a natural water feature, a dry stone wall, planting, bespoke timber fencing and a pergola.

Askham Bryan's landscaping manager and UK World Skills training manager, Harry Turner, said: "Twelve students from across the country will be competing for six places."

Throughout the year they have been taking part in regional and national competitions to get to this stage.

Once six have been selected, they go through another series of competitions, training and assessments before two are chosen to compete in Canada next year.

"It is very much like the Olympics – the landscaping students are like athletes. Their diet is analysed, also their weight and how they focus. An awful lot of work goes in to ensuring we take the right two to the World Skills competition," he said.