20 May 2025
This blog was first published on Nottingham College’s website. You can read the original article here.
Skills and Education Group member Nottingham College is a vibrant and cosmopolitan college located in the heart of Nottingham. It is one of the largest further education colleges in the UK, with six main sites across Nottingham, offering an extensive range of courses. The college, which was ranked top FE college in the Best Companies List 2024, works with over 2,500 employers, to provide education and training that meets the needs of the local economy. Home to over 30,000 students and 1,500 staff, Nottingham College offers in excess of 300 courses and apprenticeships from pre-entry through to degree-level study.
In March, Nottingham College’s Ruddington campus played host to the final stage of the Steer Apprentice Skills Competition 2025, where the nation’s most talented vehicle body repair apprentices competed for the top title.
Held at Emtec, part of Nottingham College, the competition brought together 35 apprentices from across the UK to demonstrate their skills in a series of industry-standard challenges. Over three days, competitors tackled five key disciplines: metal finishing, welding, jig alignment, plastic welding, and filler-based body repair.
The practical tasks were carried out using real car parts provided by The Green Parts Specialists, promoting sustainability and giving apprentices hands-on experience aligned with Nottingham College’s ZERO agenda—a commitment to zero waste and net-zero carbon practices.
After a tough and closely fought competition, Daniel Thacker emerged as the 2025 Body Repair Champion. His exceptional performance and consistent professionalism earned him the top spot, and he will now go on to represent the sector at the WorldSkills UK national competition.
Congratulations also go to the outstanding finalists: Daniel Woodhouse, Mikayal Muhammad, Jake Thomas, Oliver Robinson, and Emma Jamieson, all of whom demonstrated remarkable skill, determination, and professionalism throughout.
The Steer Apprentice Skills Competition 2025 was a great showcase of talent, with Daniel Thacker taking first place and earning a place at the national WorldSkills competition. Congratulations to Daniel and all the finalists for their impressive skills. EMTEC is proud to support Steer and is committed to growing our partnership to help develop the next generation of body repair professionals.
Maxine Blake, Head of Industries, said “Partnerships like the one we have with Steer Automotive Group are crucial to the success of our learners at Emtec. Hosting competitions such as these allows our apprentices to acquire new skills and excel under pressure. We are delighted that Daniel Thacker secured first place and earned a spot at the National WorldSkills Competition. We look forward to hosting the Steer Automotive MET apprenticeship competition in the coming weeks.”
The competition itself is all based around the development of young people. It’s a massive benefit to them socially; the interaction and the skills they learn, coming away from home and travelling to the competition.
This year’s competition was proudly sponsored by The Green Parts Specialists, 3M, LKQ Bodyshop Division (UK & ROI), CAR-O-LINER, and John Stanners. Nottingham College extends its sincere thanks to all sponsors, judges, and everyone involved in bringing this event to life. Their support was instrumental in its success.
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