Finlay Gallagher has development equipment in his blood – his grandfather Pat Gallagher based the eponymous £100m Kent development corporate, which he began with a unmarried backhoe loader greater than 50 years in the past to extract stone from his farm.
Gallagher Staff nowadays has a fleet of greater than 300 machines and employs greater than 500 other folks. Finlay’s dad Stephen Gallagher is a director and hopes Finlay will sign up for the circle of relatives trade when he leaves college.
Finlay Gallagher took his Development Plant Competence Scheme (CPCS) check on a JCB backhoe loader at Flynne Plant Coaching Centre in Rochford, Essex, and demonstrated a powerful seize of each the speculation and sensible facets of working the equipment.
Finlay mentioned: “I’ve liked diggers since I used to be in reality little – most likely round 3 or 4. My grandad Dave used to force me round in his dozer, whilst he did the pedals and I sat on his lap. Then my grandad Pat were given me thinking about excavators and backhoe loaders, which began my love of JCBs.
“I without a doubt see my long run within the development trade. My grandad Pat began the Gallagher Staff, and it will imply so much to me to play a component in serving to the trade keep growing. This qualification is a smart first step, and I’m prepared to construct on it by way of studying to function extra sorts of plant equipment.

“I in reality loved the coaching. I favored studying find out how to use the JCB 3CX Plus backhoe loader and figuring out what was once had to go the direction.”
Flynne Plant Coaching instructor Derek Mansfield mentioned: “Finlay was once one of the enthusiastic and succesful younger applicants we’ve had. His keep watch over of the system and figuring out of the way it operates was once some distance past what you’d be expecting at his age. He picked issues up extremely temporarily and confirmed actual herbal talent. He’s now formally the youngest individual in the United Kingdom to go this qualification, which is an out of this world fulfillment. The Gallagher circle of relatives must be very proud. We’d welcome Finlay again any time to coach on extra machines, and I in actuality stay up for seeing the place his abilities take him subsequent.”
Gallagher Staff chairman Pat Gallagher mentioned: “I’m exceptionally happy with Finlay and the entirety he has completed. He has additionally confirmed a fantastic pastime and passion for equipment from an early age, and this direction has given him an opportunity to deepen his wisdom and skill. I used to be blown away by way of how naturally he took to it. This in reality does give me nice encouragement for the longer term. Optimistically, this evokes many different younger other folks to present it a move and notice the development trade as an out of this world occupation alternative.”
Finlay Gallagher isn’t the primary 13-year-old to get a CPCS card, on the other hand. Jamie Currie, from Cullen in northeast Scotland – son of Currie Contractors Cullen director James Currie – was once additionally 13 when he handed the check in 2020.
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