AWARDS 2023

As Plant Planet went to press, entries were coming in thick and fast for the Construction Plant-hire Association (CPA) Stars of the Future Awards 2023. Stars of the Future is a national awards scheme for apprentices and trainees in the construction plant industry, organised by the CPA, the leading trade association for the plant-hire sector in the UK. The CPA has over 1,800 members who supply some 85% of hired plant to the construction and allied industries.

The 2023 winners will be announced at a live awards ceremony at the Heart of England Conference and Events Centre in Fillongley, near Coventry, on Thursday 6th July 2023. Stars of the Future winners will be in competition for a number of prizes, as well as national recognition. Previous prizes have included tool kits, iPads and all-expenses overseas trips to visit Bauma and a Liebherr crane manufacturing plant in Germany.

In recognition of the growth of the awards over the last 10 years, two new awards categories have been introduced this yearYoung Plant Operative of the Year and Apprentice Mentor of the Year. Awards will also be made for the well-established 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 the Best Personal Statement Award.

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 plantbased 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,” Kevin added.

The national winners for Stars of the Future 2022 were Jack Howell of Marubeni-Komatsu and NSCG Stafford College (Plant Mechanic of the Year), Jack Chubb of Phoenix Hire & Sales and Bridgend College (Plant Technician of the Year), Eleanor MacMillan-Currie of WM Currie and Son (Plant Operative of the Year), Jake Hodgson of Wolffkran (Plant Installer of the Year), Yasmin Bell of Sunbelt Rentals (Hire Controller of the Year), Steve Lumb of Wolffkran (Lifting Technician of the Year), Tom Baxendell of Bachy Soletanche and Reaseheath College (Best Personal Statement) and Luke Cooper of Boels Rental and Reaseheath College (Judges’ Special Award).

The CPA Stars of the Future Awards 2023 will be held in association with event sponsors CRJ Services, Flannery Plant Hire, GAP Group, L Lynch Plant Hire & Haulage and Sunbelt Rentals and award sponsors ACOP Group, Liebherr, M O’Brien Plant Hire, NOCN Group, Plant Planet, Southern Hoist Services, Tower Staff Construction and Wolffkran.