LONDON, Nov. 03, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Nominations are now open for the Enginuity Skills Awards 2026, widely regarded as the most prestigious awards in the engineering and manufacturing sector.
Each year, the Enginuity Skills Awards recognises the individuals and organisations who are championing skills excellence and driving innovation within the industry.
Nominations will remain open until midnight on Sunday, 25 January 2026, with winners announced at a prestigious ceremony on Wednesday, 1 July 2026 at the Park Plaza Westminster Bridge, London.
Celebrating skills, innovation and impact
The Enginuity Skills Awards honour achievements across a wide range of categories, highlighting apprentices, educators, training providers, and employers of all sizes, who are making outstanding contributions to the advancement of skills and workforce transformation.
Shortlisted finalists will be invited to attend the gala event in London on Wednesday, 1 July 2026, for an evening of celebration, networking, and inspiration, attended by leaders from across industry, education, and government.
Award categories
The Enginuity Skills Awards 2026 will honour excellence across the full spectrum of engineering and manufacturing skills. Categories for this year’s awards are:
- 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 (As in previous years, this award will be presented to the category winner who made the strongest impression and is therefore not open for nominations.)
* The winner of these categories will be awarded £1000 in prize money with the 2 finalists being awarded £500 each.
Comment from Enginuity
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 we must 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.
Comments from Platinum Partners
BAE Systems – Richard Hamer, HR Director for Education & Skills
“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 – Neil Mantle, Director of Manufacturing Engineering and Materials
Partner of New Talent Inspiration Programme of the Year
“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 best 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.”
About Enginuity
Enginuity, the former Sector Skills Council, is a charity dedicated to closing the skills gap in the UK’s engineering and manufacturing sector. Their mission is to empower businesses with the data, insights, and tools they need to thrive in our ever-evolving sector.
Through its pioneering work in skills intelligence and digital solutions, Enginuity is helping to create a more productive sector at the forefront of designing, making, and maintaining the solutions to society’s greatest challenges.
How to Enter
Nominations for the Enginuity Skills Awards 2026 are open now and close at midnight on Sunday, 25 January 2026.
To learn more about the award categories, entry criteria, and how to submit your nomination, visit www.enginuity.org/skills-awards-2026.
Media Contact: Dan Kirkby
Email: [email protected]
Phone: +44(0)7785 392735
Website: www.enginuity.org/skills-awards-2026
A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/e00ddc29-8355-47f9-952a-52012e8f3645
