CPA Stars of the Future Awards ceremony rescheduled to September

THE Construction Plant-hire Association (CPA) has moved this year’s Stars of the Future Apprentice and Trainee Awards 2021 ceremony from July to September due to Covid-19-related uncertainty.

The CPA explained the move has been taken ‘in light of the current status of the roadmap out of lockdown’ to ensure that nominees and winners receive the recognition they deserve.

The original plan was to host the ceremony on Thursday 1^st July. This has been rescheduled for Tuesday 14^th September so that a live physical event can be hosted at the Heart of England Conference and Events Centre near Coventry.

The deadline for Stars of the Future nominations has also been extended to Monday 31^st May, with nomination forms available on the CPA website.

Kevin Minton, chief executive of the CPA, said, “Stars of the Future is now in its ninth year and it has become firmly established as the premier event of the construction plant sector for recognising and rewarding the skills and calibre of the industry’s apprentices and trainees. Even though physical events may well be allowed from 21^st June 2021, there is still a great deal of uncertainty and we didn’t want to run the risk of limiting the event to a purely online awards announcement for the second year running.

“By holding the awards ceremony a few months down the line, we hope there will no longer be any issues with events and our intention is to hold it as a live event at the Heart of England Conference and Events Centre where winners are able to receive their prizes and receive rightful recognition for their efforts. Sponsors will also have the opportunity to meet and congratulate the nominees and winners face-to-face.

“We also realise that colleges have only recently returned to live classes, so by extending the nomination deadline it allows more preparation time in terms of gathering information together for the nomination process. We’d like to urge employers in the construction plant sector to nominate apprentices and trainees who they believe should be recognised as stars in the making.”