01.03.2016

Nic Hamilton to host Vertikal Days awards

The CPA has announced that the fourth annual Stars of the Future Plant Mechanic Apprentice Awards will be held at Vertikal Days, Haydock Park on Wednesday 15th June 2016.

Hosting the awards and talking about his experiences will be Nicolas Hamilton, a racing driver in the BTCC (British Touring Car Championship), and the brother of reigning Formula One world champion Lewis Hamilton.

Hamilton has cerebral palsy and until the age of 16 relied on the use of a wheelchair. But with motor sports in his blood, he was absolutely determined to pursue a career in motor racing and is a prime example of ‘you can do anything if you put your mind to it' making him the perfect host for Stars of the Future.
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Nic Hamilton will be presenting awards at the tenth Vertikal Days event in June

After years of hard work and dedication in overcoming his condition from being wheelchair bound to walking unaided by the age of 17, his parents agreed to his request to race. He cut his teeth in the UK Renault Clio Cup, before becoming the first disabled driver to compete in the British Touring Car Championship (BTCC) in the 2015/2016 season. Currently competing in an Audi S3 in the BTCC, he has proved himself to be a fantastic driver in his own right.

Nic Hamilton hopes to become a role model to other young people, whether living with a disability or not. He said: “Whilst I’m aiming to improve as a driver, I’m also hoping to inspire others to strive for their own personal goals, whatever their situation in life. Anyone can ‘exceed expectations’ in one way or another.”

The Stars of the Future competition is an annual award scheme, devised by the CPA to recognise talented youngsters on apprentice schemes in 11 colleges across the UK.

The awards recognise and reward outstanding apprentices who not only bring ability and commitment to their learning and work, but who possess additional capabilities that mark them out, not only being the foundations of the future of our industry, but also potential leaders. In 2015 there were almost 900 entries.

There are separate prizes for Level 2 and Level 3 apprentices and colleges will monitor their construction students and identify their two ‘star’ apprentices – in total there will be 22 regional winners across the country. These winners will then be further assessed to identify the one national winner at each level.

Haydn Steele, CPA safety & training manager said: “These youths are our industry’s future and should be recognised as such. With the support from CPA and other supporting companies we can give these apprentices a head start and the confidence to rise to new challenges and tackle the ever changing technologies involved in our industry.”

CPA director Kevin Minton added: “This sector is worth more than £4 billion and has over 200,000 operators, so there are huge opportunities for young people. The apprentices that enter the Stars of the Future competition are at the start of their career, and they will play a crucial role in not just this industry, but UK plc as a whole. The young engineers have a vital role to play in shaping the UK economy.”