Enginuity Skills Awards 2026 nominations are now open!

We are excited to announce that the nominations for The Enginuity Skills Awards 2026 are now open. The Enginuity Skills Awards recognise the individuals and organisations advocating for skills excellence in engineering and manufacturing.

Each year, the Enginuity Skills Awards celebrate 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.

The celebratory gala dinner will take place on Wednesday, 1 July 2026, at the Park Plaza London Riverbank, where the winners will be announced.

Category details

Explore the diverse range of categories recognising outstanding talent, dedication, and innovation across the engineering and manufacturing sector:

• Advanced Level Apprentice of the Year  
• Graduate, Degree or Higher-Level Apprentice of the Year 
• T Level Student of the Year  
• Training Provider Skills Champion of the Year  
• SME Employer Skills Champion of the Year  
• Large Employer Skills Champion of the Year  
• New Talent Inspiration Programme of the Year  
• The Enginuity Alliance Collaboration Award  
• Best of British Engineering*

Winners of the apprenticeship categories (Graduate, Degree or Higher Level Apprentice of the Year, and Advanced Level Apprentice of the Year) and the T Level Student of the Year category will receive a £1,000 prize, with two runners-up for each category receiving £500.

Key dates to keep in mind

• Nominations open on Monday, 3 November 2025
• Nominations close at midnight on Sunday, 25 January 2026
• Finalist announcement during the week commencing 11 May 2026
• Awards Gala on Wednesday, 1 July 2026

Celebrating sector excellence

Ann Watson, CEO of Enginuity, said: “The Enginuity Skills Awards are a celebration of the people and organisations whose talent, dedication and innovation keep UK engineering and manufacturing at the cutting edge.

“Skills are the foundation of our industry’s success, and it’s vital we continue to recognise and champion those who are driving progress, from inspiring apprentices to pioneering employers and educators. As the world changes, so too must our skills, and these awards shine a light on those leading that transformation with passion and purpose.”

Enginuity would like to extend its sincere thanks to all partners for their invaluable support in making the Enginuity Skills Awards 2026 possible. In particular, we are proud to recognise our Platinum Partners, BAE Systems and Rolls-Royce, whose continued commitment to developing engineering and manufacturing talent helps drive innovation, inclusion, and excellence across the sector.

A word from our Platinum Partners

BAE Systems - Partners of the SME Employer Skills Champion of the Year

Richard Hamer, HR Director for Education & Skills at BAE Systems, said: “The apprentices training with us at BAE Systems, or at one of our 5,800 supplier companies in the UK, are critical to meeting the future skills needs of our nation’s defence, aerospace and security sectors. Celebrating success in apprenticeship delivery is vital as we seek to encourage more employers to offer training pathways into purposeful careers for people from all backgrounds.”

Rolls-Royce - Partners of the New Talent Inspiration Programme of the Year

Neil Mantle, Director of Manufacturing Engineering and Materials at Rolls-Royce, added: “Rolls-Royce are delighted to be sponsoring the Enginuity Skills Awards once again in 2026. The development of Engineering Talent is critical to the success of Rolls-Royce and to the Engineering sector as a whole.  The awards celebrate the very in Engineering Talent Development from individual successes of Apprentices and Students through to the programmes and innovative interventions necessary to ensure we stimulate and build a healthy thriving talent pipeline aligned to industry's needs.”

We need your help to spread the word about these awards. We encourage you to nominate the champions you know and celebrate their achievements before the nomination deadline on Sunday, 25 January 2026.

Nominate yourself or a skills champion today!

*As in previous years, this award will be presented to the category winner who made the strongest impression on the judges and is therefore not open for nominations.