Future stars recognised at awards ceremony

Young apprentices in the UK construction equipment sector were celebrated by the Construction Plant-hire Association (CPA) at its latest Stars of the Future awards in June.

There were over 700 apprentices eligible for awards, with 21 scooping prizes. The three categories were Regional Level 2, Regional Level 3, and National. The two National winners were Dan Pickles, who is employed by Charles Wilson Engineers and studies at Askham Bryan College. Pickles was recognised as a level 2 apprentice. Ciaran Warnes of TXM Plant, who studies at National Construction College, was a level 3 National winner.

The Stars of the Future awards ceremony, held at the Heart of England Conference and Events Centre in Fillongley near Coventry, was its 6^th consecutive year, and 300 delegates attended.

Stars of the Future is an awards scheme for apprentices in the construction plant industry, run in conjunction with UK colleges offering plant mechanic apprentice training. This year’s awards were for plant mechanic apprentices who have been assessed throughout the academic year on their work in college and in their work environment.

There were a total of 19 regional winners for both NVQ Level 2 and Level 3 apprentices, plus two National winners. Prior to the awards, a presentation was delivered by Steve Bradby, engineering leader at Select Plant Hire and Chris Gatheridge, head of service and compliance at Explore Plant and Transport Services Ltd, supported by Katie Kelleher, lifting technician and trainee appointed person at Laing O’Rourke.

National Level 3 winner Warnes, said, “This award means the world to me and I wasn’t expecting it at all! It just shows what you can achieve with hard work and determination. I love working with plant machinery and this accolade is great news for me personally and TXM Plant. It makes me very proud and I hope it will help my career in the future.”

Meanwhile, Kevin Minton, CEO of the CPA, said, “The standard of this year’s Stars of the Future entries really was exceptional and the judging panel had some difficult decisions to make. Stars of the Future is one of the highlights in the CPA’s calendar and we welcome the opportunity to reward and recognise some of the industry’s brightest talent. It is also pleasing to see just how well some of the previous Stars of the Future winners have progressed in their careers since.”