Enginuity Skills Awards 2026 open for nominations

Enginuity CEO Ann Watson in front of the 2025 award winners

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 awards put the spotlight on the individuals and organisations that are championing skills excellence and driving innovation within the industry. They will remain open until midnight on 25 January 2026, with winners announced at a prestigious ceremony on 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 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. The winner of each category will be awarded £1,000 in prize money with the two finalists being awarded £500 each. For more information on the categories or to nominate, visit the website here.

Enginuity’s CEO Ann Watson 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.”

Richard Hamer, HR director for education and 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, Ross-Royce director, added: “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.”

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 the UK’s 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’.