Winners announced in McLaren and Department for Education Skills Drive competition

March 31, 2025 by McLaren

• Blackpool and the Fylde College announced as winners of the McLaren and Department for Education-backed Skills Drive challenge

• Competition final held at the McLaren Technology Centre saw Basingstoke College of Technology and City College Norwich named as runners up

• Skills Drive celebrates further education (FE) teachers' vital role in inspiring more people to choose a career in FE teaching

Blackpool and the Fylde College are the winners of the inaugural Skills Drive competition, run by McLaren Automotive and the Department for Education. Further education teachers Sreekutty Chandrababu and Karen Whiteside, with students Jack Mason, Logan Bennett and Thomas Walton, were crowned Skills Drive winners after competing in a final challenge at The McLaren Technology Centre (MTC) in Woking, home of McLaren Automotive and McLaren Racing.

The Skills Drive competition aims to fuel a passion among industry professionals to teach in further education (FE), share their skills, and accelerate the next generation of talent. FE is any formal learning for those aged 16+ that is not a degree.

The competition showcases FE teachers' vital role in sharing their skills to inspire other industry professionals to consider teaching in FE. Industry professionals' experience and skills are highly valued in FE. By passing on their knowledge to future talent, professionals can help shape the future of their sector's workforce, ensuring a strong workforce for tomorrow.

The final challenge put all three teams to the test with workstations imitating processes from the McLaren Production Centre. After much deliberating by the McLaren engineer judges, the team from Blackpool and the Fylde College claimed their prize of an exclusive experience in McLaren's pioneering esports racing simulator facility, the McLaren Shadow Studio.

Members from all three teams toured the McLaren facility and experienced a ride in McLaren supercars, and were awarded a McLaren 'engineering masterclass' for their college.

'McLaren congratulates the winners from Blackpool and the Fylde College and our runners up in the Skills Drive challenge. We hope that all our finalists have found their experience at MTC both fun and memorable, but also an experience that has inspired them to think about a future in automotive engineering. I would like to thank all those further education teachers who entered this year's competition. Your drive to create the next generation of automotive talent is vital to the future of our exciting industry.'

Michael Leiters, Chief Executive Officer, McLaren Automotive

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'Many congratulations to Sreekutty and her student team for winning the Skills Drive final. All finalists demonstrated their skill and knowledge while competing in the final challenges, showcasing the brilliant job FE teachers do to prepare their students to enter the workforce. Skills matter to this country, and to this government. They are key to achieving our mission to spread opportunity by raising workers' skills and earning power. We need industry professionals to help support the pipeline of talent for the sector, by sharing their knowledge through teaching in FE. Whether it's engineering, automotive, or any other industry - whatever your skills and experience, there's likely a course in FE to match them.'

Jacqui Smith, Minister of State for Skills

Industry professionals' experience and skills are highly valued in FE. With part-time contracts available FE teachers can teach alongside their existing job. You don't always need prior teaching qualifications or an academic degree to start teaching in further education. You can complete teacher training on the job, meaning you can begin earning straight away.

If you're an industry professional interested in sharing your skills and experience with the next generation via FE teaching, visit teachinfurthereducation.education.gov.uk to find out more.