John, 19, from Wray in Lancashire, was presented with his award earlier this month by Steve Morris, Head of Power Products for Honda (UK), at a special ceremony to mark the achievement of 49 young graduates who have successfully completed a Honda (UK) apprenticeship this year.

The ceremony took place at Honda (UK)’s bespoke training facility, the Honda Institute, in Slough. In attendance were senior management from Honda (UK) and British Touring Car Championship (BTCC) front-runners, Matt Neal and Gordon Shedden, of Honda Yuasa Racing.

Honda (UK) offers apprenticeships across its three core business areas of Cars, Motorcycles and Power Products. The ‘Apprentice of the Year’ award is given to the candidate who truly excels in their specialist area, with nominations taken from Honda’s Apprentice Trainers, Assessors and Managers. Nominations are judged against specific criteria and the overall winner is then identified by the Apprentice Programme Management Team.


L-R: BTCC drivers Gordon Shedden & Matt Neal with John Staveley, Honda UK md Phil Crossman and Steve Morris, Head of Power Products for Honda (UK) 

John comments: “Growing up on a farm I have been around ATVs for as long as I can remember, and I’ve always been fascinated by engines. I started work experience at Taylor ATV during my school holidays and really enjoyed it as it gave me the opportunity to get to know and understand the product. I was delighted when Taylor’s offered me an apprenticeship and I’ve loved every minute of it. I’m really looking forward to continuing my career here.”

Tom Taylor, owner of Taylor ATV comments: “John first came to us on a work placement from school, and we saw the potential in his interest in ATVs straight away. We have been extremely pleased with John’s progress through his apprenticeship, he has shown true commitment to the job and works well as part of the team. He is great with customers, and coming from a farming background has a good understanding of their requirements.

"John has turned into a true asset for Taylor ATV and we hope that he stays with us for many years to come. We congratulate him on his success and we celebrate his achievements over the last three years.”