Within grasp of glory
Published: 15 May, 2025
The brightest lights in British engineering and manufacturing are set to shine as finalists for the Enginuity Skills Awards 2025. Six of the nine finalists, featured in individual categories, are female – a notable occurrence within the sector.
Each year, the Enginuity Skills Awards celebrates the teams and individuals who inspire and empower the next generation of talent in the engineering and manufacturing sector, fostering a culture of innovation, diversity, and collaboration.
Enginuity, formerly known as Semta the sector skills council, is now a charity dedicated to closing the skills gap in British engineering and manufacturing. It previously served as a government sector skills council.
The awards will embrace a new potential ‘golden era’ of great British engineering, to enhance growth and prosperity, which will be celebrated at a glittering ceremony in the heart of London, in July.
Due to current geo-political conditions, such as the impact of Brexit and global market fluctuations, the need for highly skilled domestic engineering talent has arguably never been greater, to help maintain market share and ensure sustainable production and supply within the UK.
The Enginuity Skills Awards recognise the individuals and organisations advocating for skills excellence in engineering and manufacturing and give the sector a platform
The theme for event, to be held on Thursday, 3 July 2025 is ‘Engineering and Manufacturing is the Engine of Growth’. The gala dinner will take place at the Park Plaza London Riverbank, where the winners will be announced.
Ann Watson, CEO of Enginuity, which represents hundreds of engineering and advanced manufacturing organisations, from small family firms to the globally renowned brands, wants the awards to underline the true potential that the sector offers the nation.
“What a gathering of brilliant Brits awaits us. The fact that two-thirds of the individual finalists are women, fills me with joy and hope for the future. They are within the grasp of glory.”
Engineering & manufacturing are ready and able to embark on a new ‘golden age’ which will enhance productivity and output, we just need government and education to produce the catalyst to help make that happen.
“Governments and business are united in their desire for economic growth and our sector has the pent-up potential to deliver it.
“These awards celebrate those that have excelled in all sorts of ways, extraordinary people with extraordinary stories, icons to inspire others, spread innovation and enhance the sector in all sorts of ways.”
And the Finalists are:
ENGINUITY SKILLS AWARDS 2025 FINALISTS
Advanced Level Apprentice, sponsored by BAE Systems:
Recognising an apprentice whose commitment to learning and developing skills is making a valued contribution to the workplace, making them an ideal role model to encourage others into engineering and manufacturing careers.
John Jack, Engineering Technician Apprentice, BAE Systems - Naval Ships - Glasgow, Scotland
John is passionate about hands-on learning and problem-solving and has made a strong impact through production support, mentoring, and innovation—earning the IET Apprentice Prize. He is committed to closing the industry’s skills gap through actively promoting apprenticeships and aspires to become a Chartered Engineer.
Erin Lowe, Level 3 Electrical Apprentice, Yamazaki Mazak – Warndon, Worcestershire
Erin is driven by a lifelong ambition to follow in her grandfather’s footsteps, a vocal advocate for women in engineering, regularly attending careers events to inspire the next generation, especially young girls, showing them that engineering is a space where they can thrive.
Lewis Macpherson, Advanced Level Apprentice, Rolls-Royce – Inchinnan, Scotland
Lewis leads STEM outreach, and has launched peer-led mental health initiatives, and earning recognition such as Apprentice of the Year. Focusing on continuous improvement and inclusion, he aspires to become an EVP and complete a PhD, all while helping to close skills gaps across engineering and manufacturing.
Graduate, Degree or Higher Level Apprentice of the Year, sponsored by Rolls-Royce:
Recognising a graduate or apprentice whose commitment, innovative thinking, and skills are making a valued contribution to the workplace and wider industry.
Hannah Livingstone, Materials Engineering Degree Apprentice, Rolls-Royce – Derby, Derbyshire
Hannah gained hands-on experience in failure investigations, improvement projects, and advanced equipment usage, leading to significant annual savings for the company. She has actively promoted apprenticeships and engineering through education outreach, leading workshops and centralising STEM activities to reach underserved communities.
Hannah Bowen-Viner, Manufacturing Degree Apprentice, Safran Landing Systems – Gloucestershire, England
Hannah led impactful projects, including developing part protection foams and a retractable landing gear model, contributing to business improvements and outreach engagement. She is passionate about diversity in STEM, advocates for women in engineering and supports efforts to close the skills gap through mentorship and outreach.
Katy Siegle, Digital Energy Degree Technical Apprentice, Schneider Electric - Telford, Shropshire
Katy developed technical skills and a deep understanding of energy management, making significant contributions to reducing energy costs and improving operational efficiency. She is passionate about bridging the skills gap by actively promoting apprenticeships, supports education-business collaboration, and aspires to a leadership role in sustainable energy solutions.
T Level Student, sponsored by Eduqas and EAL:
Recognising a student whose commitment to learning and skills development in both education and the workplace positions them as an inspiring role model for careers in engineering and manufacturing.
Mohammed Mahmood, T Level Student, Newcastle and Stafford College Group – Newcastle-under-Lyme, Staffordshire
From conflict and displacement to engineering success, Mahmood has used a T Level in Building Services Engineering to gain hands-on experience and overcome language and cultural barriers. Now with offers for university and a degree apprenticeship, he is committed to inspiring others and supporting a more inclusive engineering workforce.
Molly Lloyd, T Level Engineering and Manufacturing Student, Newcastle and Stafford College Group – Newcastle-under-Lyme, Staffordshire
Molly developed strong hands-on skills in welding, machining, and maintenance. Once lacking confidence, she’s grown into a proactive problem-solver, student representative, and advocate for T Levels—now set on a future in mechanical engineering and committed to inspiring the next generation.
Lemeah Simpson, Apprentice, T Level Engineering Student at Solihull University & College Centre
As a female in a male-dominated field, she’s overcome self-doubt to become a role model for others, actively promoting T Levels in the media and online. She has an ambition to move into automotive design and support more young people—especially women—into engineering careers.
Training Partner Skills Champion, sponsored by EAL:
Recognising outstanding commitment to learning and skills development that supports sustainable engineering and manufacturing growth through partnerships between providers and employers.
UWE Bristol
UWE Bristol began delivering Degree Apprenticeships in 2017/18, addressing skills gaps in engineering, construction, and digital sectors, with a focus on increasing diversity. Their Women in Industry project, launched in 2023 successfully combats gender underrepresentation by creating partnerships with employers, mentoring programs, and outreach initiatives.
Centre for Advanced Timber Technology, New Model Institute for Technology and Engineering
Through strong partnerships with industry leaders and academic institutions, CATT delivers innovative training programs like the Enhanced Retrofit Fabric Improvement Training (ERFIT) course. Focused on sustainability and diversity, CATT equips professionals with the skills needed for a net-zero built environment, driving growth and innovation in engineering and manufacturing.
MTC Training & Amazon RME, MTC Training
MTC Training has developed a strategic partnership with Amazon to deliver a tailored apprenticeship programme, addressing skills gaps and ensuring consistent, high-quality training across all locations. Through innovative solutions like a pre-apprenticeship scheme, mentoring courses, and dedicated EPA support, they’ve created a model that drives growth and sustainability in the engineering and manufacturing sectors.
SME Employer Skills Champion, sponsored by The National Network of Institutes of Technology:
Recognising outstanding commitment by an engineering or manufacturing SME employer to sustainable business improvement through learning and development.
Useful Simple Trust
Through targeted training programmes and industry partnerships, demonstrating outstanding commitment to sustainable business improvement, aligning with Enginuity's mission to close engineering and manufacturing skills gaps.
Reliance Precision Limited
Through investments in training, site visits, and soft skills workshops, the company has enhanced its apprenticeship programme, fostering a skilled, diverse workforce while promoting engineering to young people.
DePe Gear Ltd
DePe Gear Ltd mentorship programme and specialised CNC training have led to improved productivity and reduced errors. With plans to expand training opportunities and collaborate with Enginuity to support the development of the next generation of engineers.
Large Employer Skills Champion
Recognising outstanding commitment by a large engineering or manufacturing employer to sustainable business improvement through learning and development.
Biffa Engineering Apprentice Program
By launching a world-class apprenticeship programme, focusing on diversity and future needs, the company significantly improved retention and diverse apprentice intake, gaining positive feedback from both training providers and site teams.
Xtrac Ltd
Successfully enhanced an established apprenticeship programme to include higher-level qualifications and a dedicated training academy. Also supporting STEM education through outreach and work experience programmes, helping to close the engineering skills gap.
Kilnbridge
Kilnbridge is a large and complex organisation, with four in-house businesses delivering specialist structural solutions and engineering services across multiple sectors. The company is determined to address the identified talent gap and has implemented a comprehensive strategy focused on education, training, and recruitment.
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New Talent Inspiration Programme of the Year, sponsored by Biffa:
Recognising a programme that has used innovative or different means to successfully attract new talent into the engineering and manufacturing sector.
Empowering NEET Young People to Choose Engineering as a Career, Engineered Learning
Offering practical, accredited training and supporting vulnerable young people, the programme has successfully empowered participants to gain industry-relevant skills, which has led to further funding to expand the initiative and reach more young people in need.
Cornwall Manufacturing Group Academy
A collaboration between CMG, Cornwall College, and local schools, provides students with industry-aligned education combining classroom learning and hands-on experience. With national recognition and expansion across two campuses, the programme is helping to create a sustainable workforce.
Citizen Hub St Neots CIC
The Citizen Hub successfully connects local communities with skills development and job opportunities in engineering and manufacturing through a collaborative, community-led approach. Creating a sustainable talent pipeline, this initiative has gained national recognition for its impact.
The Enginuity Alliance Collaboration Award, sponsored by Innovate UK:
Recognising powerful alliances and collaborations that address the core challenges in engineering and manufacturing (or problem statements) that guide Enginuity’s work.
The Aspire Shared Apprenticeship Programme
Implemented an innovative shared apprenticeship model, providing apprentices with diverse work experiences across multiple employers, while supporting the growth of an inclusive and sustainable engineering workforce.
Ayrshire College and XLCC – addressing the green skills challenge, Ayrshire Council
Addressing the skills gap in Scotland’s renewable energy sector by partnering with XLCC to develop a bespoke apprenticeship programme. Their innovative approach, including staff upskilling and collaboration with industry experts, has created valuable employment opportunities and is driving long-term growth in the renewable energy workforce.
Fusion Skills Council, UK Atomic Energy Authority
A strategic partnership formed to address the skills gap in the UK fusion sector. Through collaboration, this council developed the FOSTER programme, which focuses on deepening and widening the talent pool, raising awareness of fusion careers, and enhancing sector-wide community cohesion to ensure a skilled workforce for the fusion energy industry.
Raising Competence Through ECS Collaboration, Joint Industry Board
Played a pivotal role in raising competence standards within the fire and security systems sector. Through collaborative efforts, the group developed tailored qualification routes to ensure that both new and experienced professionals meet industry-required standards.
The coveted Best of British Award (selected from winners of the above.
Winners of the individual learner categories (Graduate Degree or Higher-Level Apprentice, Advanced Level Apprentice) and the T Level Student category will receive a £1,000 prize, with two runners-up for each category receiving £500.
A word from the sponsors:
'EAL is proud to be sponsoring the award for Training Provider Skills Champion at this year’s Enginuity Skills Awards. As the specialist awarding and end-point assessment organisation for engineering and manufacturing, we understand the importance of the people and providers helping learners to ensure they have the right skills at the right time. These awards shine a light on the teams and individuals driving the future of manufacturing and engineering, and EAL values those who bring out the best in others to shape the future of the sector.' - Alison Parkes, Managing Director at EAL
“We are delighted to recognise and celebrate the achievements of T Level students through our sponsorship of the prestigious Enginuity Skills Awards 2025.
“In collaboration with EAL, we are proud to offer the next generation of T Levels, which are being redeveloped to reflect current industry practices. T Levels enable students to enter the workforce with confidence, by equipping them with the skills and knowledge required by employers.
“The awards provide us with an opportunity to recognise the work of students who have shown exceptional commitment to their studies. I wish all applicants the best of luck and look forward to celebrating their achievements at the ceremony.” – Ian Morgan, Chief Executive, Eduqas.
“At Biffa, we recognise that the future of engineering and manufacturing relies on attracting and nurturing fresh talent. That’s why we are proud to sponsor the New Talent Inspiration Programme of the Year award, celebrating innovative initiatives that inspire and equip the next generation with the skills they need. By investing in new talent, we are helping to build a more sustainable and dynamic industry for the future.” – Malcolm Bussey, Group Engineering Director, Biffa.
"At Innovate UK, we are proud to support the Enginuity Skills Awards, which shine a spotlight on the incredible talent shaping the future of UK engineering, manufacturing and innovation. These awards celebrate not just individual achievement, but the collective effort to build a skilled and competitive workforce essential to our ambitions for innovation and economic growth. Congratulations to all the finalists – your dedication and impact are truly inspiring." – Dave Wilkes, Director, Innovation Ecosystem, Innovation UK.
"We are delighted to be sponsoring the award for Graduate, Degree or Higher Level Apprentice this year. As an ex-apprentice myself, who then studied part time for my degrees afterwards, I appreciate the opportunity combining these provides. As a company Rolls-Royce values the significant contribution our apprentices make during their training and as they enter the workforce. Through their energy, commitment and innovation they have the power to transform the businesses they work in." – Neil Mantle, Director, Manufacturing Engineering & Materials, Rolls-Royce PLC.
"Institutes of Technology are proud to support the Enginuity Skills Awards, recognising the vital role engineers play in driving innovation and growth—especially within the UK’s thriving SME sector. Our mission is to deliver high-quality technical education that meets employer needs, empowering the next generation of engineers with the skills to succeed. By championing excellence and collaboration, we ensure that SMEs can access the talent and expertise they need to compete and grow. These awards celebrate the people and partnerships shaping the future of engineering—and we’re honoured to partner with Enginuity." – Rosa Wells, Chair, National Network Institutes of Technologies.
https://enginuity.org/skills-awards-2025
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https://www.linkedin.com/company/enginuity-org/
Enginuity Awards 2024
