Nominations are now open for the Enginuity Skills Awards 2026.
Each year, the Enginuity Skills Awards recognise 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.
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.
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 two finalists being awarded £500 each.
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.”
BAE Systems and Rolls-Royce are Platinum Partners for the Awards.
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.”
Neil Mantle, Director of Manufacturing Engineering and Materials at Rolls-Royce, Partner of New Talent Inspiration Programme of the Year said:
“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 the 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.”
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.
To learn more about the award categories, entry criteria, and how to submit your nomination, visit here.
