THE Construction Plant-hire Association’s (CPA) Stars of the Future Awards 2023 are now open for entries.
Employers from across the industry are being encouraged to nominate their top performing plant apprentices and trainees.
The CPA said that in recognition of the growth of the awards over the last decade, two new categories have been introduced this year – Young Plant Operative of the Year and Apprentice Mentor of the Year.
Awards will also be handed out for the existing categories of Plant Mechanic of the Year (Level 2), Plant Technician of the Year (Level 3), Plant Operative of the Year, Plant Installer of the Year, Lifting Technician of the Year, Hire Controller of the Year, College of the Year, the Judges’ Special Award, and Best Personal Statement Award.
Winners will be announced at a live ceremony at the Heart of England Conference and Events Centre in Fillongley, near Coventry, on July 6. Stars of the Future winners will be in contention for a number of prizes. Previous prizes have included tool kits, iPads and all-expenses overseas trips to visit bauma and a Liebherr crane manufacturing plant in Germany.
Nominations are welcomed from all employers including plant hire companies, manufacturers, contractors, suppliers and others operating in the construction plant sector with apprentices and trainees in their workforce.
Kevin Minton, chief executive of the CPA, said, “Stars of the Future is firmly established as the leading event of the construction plant sector for recognising and rewarding the skills and calibre of the industry’s apprentices and trainees, and it offers a great opportunity for companies to nominate their outstanding apprentices and trainees who they see as being the industry’s future leaders.
“The standard of entries gets higher every year and last year we received 72 nominations from across the industry. With around 900 apprentices across the six main plant-based occupations, we expect we will receive even more nominations this year, especially as we have introduced new supplementary categories such as ‘Apprentice Mentor of the Year’ which recognises individuals from the same employer of the apprentices and trainees who have played a significant part in assisting them during their learning journey.”
Nomination forms are available on the CPA website at https://www.cpa.uk.net/skills-training/stars-of-the-future and nominations can be made by the deadline of March 31.
