Jaguar Land Rover and BAE Systems have both been short-listed for the Semta Skills Awards 2015, which celebrate the best in British engineering and advanced manufacturing.

The winners will be revealed at a gala dinner in London on 24 February, hosted by TV presenter Michael Underwood. JLR and BAE Systems are finalists in the Siemens-sponsored Innovation category for their work on the Auto and Aero Trailblazers initiatives to improve the standards of apprenticeships.

Semta CEO Ann Watson said: “The 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 showing that Britain’s engineers
are still the best in the world. This year’s shortlist shows the strength of the industry across the country.”

At the awards dinner, Semta will also name the winner of its 2015 Hall of Fame competition, which honours a contemporary British engineer.

This year’s five nominations are: Professor Dame Ann Dowling, a world authority on low-noise aircraft and low-emission power stations; Mark Chapman, the chief engineer of the Bloodhound Project; Joel Gibbard, a robotics engineer and the founder of Open Bionics; digital-security expert Professor Máire O’Neill; and Dr Dan Plant, the inventor of a shock-absorbing material that won the ‘most innovative product’ award at Eurobike 2012.

To vote, go to the Web site (www.semta.org.uk/hall-of-fame-2015-shortlist).