HMS Sultan air engineer receives the Kevin Large award

AN HMS Sultan instructor is sitting on top of the world.
By Sophie Lewis
Published 20th Dec 2022, 14:16 BST
Updated 20th Dec 2022, 14:16 BST
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An Air Engineering instructor from HMS Sultan was awarded the Kevin Large Award after an air engineering apprentice who he trained received Gold and secured the highest score for the WorldSkills UK squad in the WorldSkills 2022 international competition.

RAF apprentice Senior Aircraftman Ewan Payne, who was trained by James Callaghan, achieved the score for the Aircraft Maintenance section of WorldSkills competition, beating the World’s top apprentices at The ICAT, Cardiff and Vale college.

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James first got involved with the WorldSkills UK squad during an apprenticeship visit to HMS Sultan in 2014 and has since continued to support them and has helped apprentices prepare for the WorldSkills including RAF apprentice Senior Aircraftman, Shayne Hadland MBE, who got silver in 2015.

WSUK PO Jimmy Callaghan, Worldskills UK. Cockerell Hangar .:HMS Sultan instructor and WorldSkills Expert Jimmy Callaghan with RAF apprentice and WorldSkills 2022 Aircraft Maintenance Gold Medallist, Senior aircraftman Ewan Payne.WSUK PO Jimmy Callaghan, Worldskills UK. Cockerell Hangar .:HMS Sultan instructor and WorldSkills Expert Jimmy Callaghan with RAF apprentice and WorldSkills 2022 Aircraft Maintenance Gold Medallist, Senior aircraftman Ewan Payne.
WSUK PO Jimmy Callaghan, Worldskills UK. Cockerell Hangar .:HMS Sultan instructor and WorldSkills Expert Jimmy Callaghan with RAF apprentice and WorldSkills 2022 Aircraft Maintenance Gold Medallist, Senior aircraftman Ewan Payne.

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James was invited to become a second judge at the national competition in 2016 where he worked with WorldSkills Expert, Aircraft Maintenance, Mr Martin Yates MBE, helping to design a test project.

He spent 18 months helping Ewan perfect his skills.

James said: ‘I’m so proud of everything we’ve achieved, Ewan is so talented, he has worked tirelessly to get where he is today, consistently going the extra mile and really deserves the success.

‘I don’t think we would be where we are without Martin’s passion for excellence, which was so infectious, his drive, encouragement and attention to detail really set the bar and helped me appreciate the important role we play.

‘To go one better than Shayne achieved in 2015, claiming Gold with both Haydn and Ewan is really beyond anything we could have hoped for.’

Related topics:HMS Sultan