The best in British engineering and advanced manufacturing will be celebrated at a ceremony next month, highlighting the champions of one of the UK’s most important economic sectors.

Hundreds of nominations from across the UK for the seven categories have been shortlisted to leave 25 finalists battling it out in the prestigious Semta Skills Awards with the winners being revealed at a gala awards dinner in London’s Park Plaza, Riverbank on February 24 hosted by TV presenter Michael Underwood.

Ann Watson, CEO of Semta, said: “The Semta Skills Awards celebrate the very best of British engineering, recognising the achievements of talented people and inspiring businesses across the engineering and advanced manufacturing sector.

“We launched the awards last year and the winners have done a fantastic job in showing Britain’s engineers are still the best in the World and this year’s shortlist shows the strength of the industry across the country.

“There is no room for complacency and Semta is working tirelessly to ensure that Great British businesses have enough great British engineers – and while we are making inroads to filling the skills gap – events like the Semta Skills Awards help us spread the message in a positive way.”

The awards will be judged by an expert industry led judging panel which will also select an overall winner of the Best of British Engineering Award from the winners of the categories above.

The awards also see the second investee of Semta’s Hall of Fame where suggestions put forward by the engineering community of contemporary engineers will be inducted alongside some of the most famous figures from Britain’s history.

Last year the public chose 24-year-old mechanical engineer Sam Etherington who said: “Being invested into the Engineering Hall of Fame has really proved beneficial to me and my company Aqua Power Technologies. It has helped raise the funding to develop my idea and connect with the right people in industry.”