CITB hosts UK Plant Operator of the Year 2023

On Saturday 30 September, CITB’s National Construction College, Bircham Newton, hosted the Plant Operator of the Year competition.

Almost 1,000 people attended to watch the 69 competitors battle it out to be crowned UK Plant Operator of the Year. After a day of demonstrating outstanding skill and knowledge, Gordon Durno from Currie Contractors, lifted the prize and was awarded a cheque for £10,000.

To gain a place in the final, competitors were required to participate in any four of nine challenges with the winner of each challenge going through to the final. The nine finalists then went head-to-head on two challenges.

As well as the competition, the event showcased the wide range of Plant training available at the National Construction College, Bircham Newton, and allowed attendees to test their skills on the college’s state of the art simulators.

Chris Blake, Curriculum Manager, Plant department at the CITB, was impressed with the expertise demonstrated by the plant operators competing: “What a great event! We were delighted to see so many people come along to watch some very talented plant operators fight it out to be crowned UK Plant Operator of the Year. Congratulations to Gordon – a true veteran and expert in his field.”

UK Plant Operators Magazine, the owners and organisers of the UK Plant Operator of the Year, said "We are delighted with the outcomes of this year's event, now in its third year, the campaign just gets bigger and better.

“We would like to thank the 60 plus operators who entered, the standard this year was as high as ever. We would also like to thank the record crowd who attended and of course, our thanks go to our venue host, and headline sponsor, the CITB for their support and setting of the 2023 UK Plant Operator of the Year event. We are already looking forward to taking the event to the next level in 2024.”