UK’s top construction plant apprentices recognised at CPA Stars of the Future event
The future of the construction plant industry is in safe hands judging by the outstanding quality of the entrants at this year’s Stars of the Future awards hosted by the Construction Plant-hire Association (CPA).
A total of 80 nominations were received for the CPA Stars of the Future apprentice and trainee awards 2024. The awards identify some of the industry’s brightest up-and-coming talent and future leaders across various occupations, including Plant Mechanics, Plant Technicians, Hire Controllers, Lifting Technicians, Plant Installers, Plant Operators, and Young Plant Operators, as well as those who mentor the apprentices.
Almost 300 people attended the awards ceremony which was hosted at the Heart of England Conference and Events Centre in Fillongley, near Coventry, by former TV newsreader, presenter and journalist Merryn Myatt. This was the 12th year of the acclaimed apprentice awards and this year’s nominations were judged by a total of 13 judges from the CPA and across the industry.
The CPA is the leading trade association for the construction plant sector in the UK, with over 1,900 members who supply around 85% of hired plant to the construction industry. The awards ceremony was held in association with event sponsors GAP Group and L Lynch Plant Hire & Haulage, and award sponsors and supporters ACOP Group, JCB, Liebherr, L Lynch Plant Hire & Haulage, M O’Brien Plant Hire, NOCN Group, Plant Planet, Southern Hoist Services, Sunbelt Rentals and Wolffkran.
On the day, the winners of each national category were as follows:
- National Plant Mechanic of the Year (Level 2) – Bethan Whittaker of KJ Services and Bridgend College
- National Plant Technician of the Year (Level 3) – Morgan Wardle of Banks Plant Solutions and Askham Bryan College
- Hire Controller of the Year – Millie Scott-Young of Sunbelt Rentals
- Young Plant Operative of the Year – Josh Jones of L Lynch Plant Hire & Haulage
- Plant Operative of the Year – Reece Stray of L Lynch Plant Hire & Haulage
- Lifting Technician of the Year – Zac Bradshaw of Commhoist
- Plant Installer of the Year – Hayden Chappell of Southern Hoist Services
- Individual Apprentice Mentor of the Year – Steve Gwynn of Sunbelt Rentals
- Group Apprentice Mentor of the Year – Dave Rogers of L Lynch Plant Hire & Haulage
- Best Personal Statement Award – Shannon Weiss of Finning UK and Finning Academy
- Judges’ Special Award – Tom Williams of CBL and Bridgend College
Stars of the Future was originally introduced to recognise outstanding Apprentice Plant Mechanics
and Plant Technicians, but the event’s scope has been extended over the years to reward other job roles in the construction plant sector. It is now widely recognised as the sector’s premier event for recognising and rewarding trainees and apprentices who are earmarked as future industry leaders.
CPA President Brian Jones said: Stars of the Future is one of the CPA’s flagship events and one that we’re very proud of. We’d like to congratulate all the nominees and winners – it’s a tremendous achievement in itself for apprentices to be nominated by their employer or training provider for a Star of the Future award. Testimony to the success of the awards is that many previous Stars of the Future award winners have gone on to secure senior positions in the construction plant industry.
We would like to thank all our sponsors, without whom we simply could not stage such an event or reward our winners so considerably. Award winners received some fabulous prizes, including tool kits, machine training courses, iPads, an overseas trip to visit a Liebherr crane manufacturing plant in Germany, another overseas trip to one of Wolffkran’s manufacturing facilities in Luckau, Germany, and a VIP day courtesy of JCB. Special thanks also go to each and every one of our 13 judges for the time they took in going through all the nominations so thoroughly.
Stars of the Future had a two-tier judging process – the CPA selection panel and a panel of external judges who decided the eventual winners of each category. The external judging panel included Arran Willis of Liebherr-GB, Siôn Morgan Jones of ACOP Group, Kirsty Archbold-Laming of Southern Hoist Services, Leigh Sparrow of Vertikal Press, Graham Black of Earthmovers Magazine, Tim Brownbridge of BAM Nuttall, independent judge Rob Allen, Georgina Williams of JCB and Sean Scarah of Balfour Beatty.
Graham Black, Editor of Earthmovers Magazine, who was part of the external judging panel, said: It was a genuine honour to be asked to be a CPA Stars of the Future judge once again and the quality of the candidates was exceptional this year. Our job as judges was to identify the mega stars of the future and what often separates these high-achieving individuals is their video submission that they submit as part of their nomination.
One of the reasons for this long-standing event is to attract more Plant Mechanics, Plant Technicians, Plant Operators and other occupations into our industry. Stars of the Future has been a great success and it was fantastic to see so many outstanding individuals in the room during the awards ceremony.