Thatcham hosts Steer Apprentice Skills Competition finals
Thatcham Research hosted the 2026 finals of Steer Automotive Apprentice Skills Competition at its state-of-the-art academy this week (18-19 February).
The competition, which started with heats held over five days at Emtec Nottingham College (9-13 February), saw 20 of Steer’s most talented automotive apprentices compete across four categories: body repair, automotive refinishing, automotive MET, and automotive VDA.
Over two days apprentices completed a series of tasks specifically designed to mirror real-world complexities, with judges offering immediate feedback to highlight strengths, development areas and professional insights to further their progress.
Following the competition, one overall winner was named for each discipline (see below).
Momentum
Gavin Ruddick, CEO at Steer Automotive Group, said: “The Apprentice Skills Competition is about more than identifying and recognising the winners, it’s about building the confidence of each apprentice that takes part, through delivery of clear performance benchmarks in a real-life operational environment, where the skills and behaviours of our evolving repair sector are demonstrated with consistency.
“As our Steer Group Academy continues to grow our skills competition gains greater momentum, and our apprentice experiences from those taking part are shared to encourage even greater engagement and participation for year ahead.
“Hosting the finals at Thatcham Research reflects our shared commitment to technical excellence, ongoing partnership in evolving repair techniques to support the technology of the current and future vehicle parc and enabling our apprentices with the confidence and experience to be successful in our businesses repair environment.”
Exceptional standard
Dean Lander, head of repair sector services at Thatcham Research, added: “The standard of work from this year’s apprentices has been exceptional. It’s been brilliant to see them compete in our Automotive Academy and develop skills that will define our industry’s future.
“By combining challenges with structured feedback, the competition helps apprentices grow in both skill and confidence, benefits that extend well beyond the competition itself.
“We’re proud that Steer chose our Automotive Academy as the backdrop for this year’s finals. Our facilities are purpose‑built to reflect the complexity of real‑world repair, and hosting the competition here reinforces Thatcham Research’s role in shaping the technical capability of the modern automotive workforce.”
2026 Body Repair champion
Theo Barretto – Grantham
Finalists:
- Daniel Woodhouse – Bristol
- Joe Carey – Wokingham
- Nassor Abdillah – Coventry
- Scott Skeats – Salisbury
2026 Automotive Refinishing champion
Samuel Cilla – Maidstone Prestige
Finalists:
- Hassan Khan – Glasgow
- Max McGowan – Eastleigh
- George Briggs – Southend
- Jacob Orrey – Sleaford
2026 Automotive MET champion
Zak Loran – Heathrow
Finalists:
- Faith Best – Cambridge
- Oscar Reeve – Portsmouth
- Ethan Hancock – Luton
- Finley Flint – Worthing
2026 Automotive VDA champion
Anthoni Kurek – Grantham
Finalists:
- Charlie Channing-Jones – Bexhill
- Jack Cursons – Cambridge
- Jake Harrison – Sleaford
- Kai Collymore Walster – Wellingborough
