CPA Bulletin

www.cpa.uk.net CPA Bulletin > May 2024 9 ASSOCIATION NEWS: 3 Stars of the Future 2024 Judging With the nominations process for the 2024 Stars of the Future programme now officially closed, the important judging process to decide the winners and highly commended nominees for all of the categories is now underway. The first stage is the internal judging process undertaken by the CPA selection panel and consists of CPA staff Rob Squires , Katie Kelleher , Lisa Collins and Peter Brown , going through the nominations to produce, dependant on the number of entries, a shortlist for each of the categories. For the Plant Mechanic and Plant Technician of the Year categories, the selection panel choose a regional winner and any highly commended nominees for the regions of North, Midlands, South, Wales and Scotland. The panel also judges the Apprentice Mentor of the Year category, which is proving very popular and recognises the work of mentors who undertake this important function of providing guidance, help and support to apprentices. There are three parts to the nomination form to be looked at: the employer’s statement, the training provider’s statement and the apprentice’s statement. The last one being the most important as nominees do, and in fact are encouraged to, provide a video statement of themselves. This makes a real difference to the judges, as they are able to see and hear the nominees presenting themselves. All video entries are also eligible for the Personal Statement of the Year Award, which is given to the nominee who the judges feel provides the most inspiring, enthusiastic, genuine and well conveyed personal statement about their journey on their apprenticeship, what it means to them and what they hope to achieve. In past years, even some of the homemade videos of the apprentice talking about themselves whilst in their bedroom have been winners of the award, as well as those who’ve been taking tips from Hollywood. Once the finalists in all categories have been identified by the selection panel, they are passed onto the external judging panel frommid-May, who will then determine the national winner for each of the categories. The judges also present their own award to a nominee who they feel deserves special recognition of some form or another, such as overcoming some form of adversity or who has shown particular initiative, achievement, progression, enthusiasm or life-altering decision to enter the sector. The regular Stars of the Future judges are Kirsty Archbold-Laming from Southern Hoist Services, Siôn Morgan Jones of ACOP Group, Arran Willis from Liebherr-GB, Tim Brownbridge from BAM Nuttall, Leigh Sparrow from the trade magazine Cranes and Access, Graham Black from the popular Earthmovers magazine and Rob Allen , as an independent judge but having a lifetime in the plant sector. For 2024, two new judges join the panel and we welcome Georgina Williams from JCB and Sean Scarah from Balfour Beatty. The CPA are grateful for the time, energy and effort the judges make in choosing the winners and making the Stars programme the success it is. CPA Selection Panel External Judging Panel Rob Squires Katie Kelleher Tim Brownbridge Leigh Sparrow Arran Willis Siôn Morgan Jones Kirsty Archbold-Laming Lisa Collins Peter Brown Georgina Williams Rob Allen Sean Scarah Graham Black