Xtrac’s James O’Hagan has been awarded the Best Workplace Mentor award in the 2021 Newbury College Apprenticeship awards.

A former apprentice at Xtrac himself, completing his training in 2007, O’Hagan has gone on to build a successful career as a skilled turner, working on the highest specification parts for many racing formulae including Formula One. In 2006 O’Hagan was the first ever winner of Xtrac’s Darren Huttel apprentice award and was placed second in 2007.

Alongside his full-time job as a highly-skilled engineer, James trains and mentors all apprentices at Xtrac.

Throughout the Covid-19 pandemic James has assisted with and worked round the ever-changing guidelines and safety regulations connected with the Covid pandemic and liaised with the other Xtrac trainers, he has always had the apprentices’ health, safety and wellbeing at the top of his priorities.

James has a natural ability to work alongside apprentices at Xtrac and help them to feel safe and relaxed and give them a sense of achievement. They go on to work with greater confidence and as a result are able to increase their skills more easily and progress onto greater things. Apprentices look up to James as a some one who is firm and fair and is greatly respected by all of them.