Finalists compete in Semta Skills Awards 2016
More female engineers than ever before are leading the charge to be named the best in British engineering and advanced manufacturing.
Hundreds of nominations from across the UK for the nine categories have been shortlisted to leave 27 finalists battling it out in the prestigious Semta Skills Awards.
The winners will be revealed at a gala awards dinner in London’s Hilton Hotel on Park Lane, on February 10 2016 hosted by BBC journalist, presenter and engineering advocate Steph McGovern.
For the first time each individual award category has at least one female engineer in the final.
Ann Watson, CEO of Semta, the not-for-profit organisation tasked with skilling engineering and manufacturing in the UK said: “Women are under-represented in the industry so it is fantastic to see so many nominated and making it to the final. We need 800,000 engineers by 2020 and we will only get there if more women are inspired to take engineering up as a career.
“Our finalists are role models who can send out the message loud and clear – women CAN be great British engineers.
“The Semta 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. It is right that we should shout loud and proud about what the finalists are doing to make Britain great.
“I would like to thank our sponsors for making the awards possible and wish all the finalists the very best of luck.”
The categories are:
- Apprentice of The Year sponsored by Atkins
- Higher Apprentice of The Year sponsored by Rolls-Royce
- Graduate of The Year sponsored by Marshall
- Skills Champion of The Year sponsored by BAE Systems
- Skills Innovation of The Year sponsored by Siemens
- Training Partner of The Year sponsored by GetMyFirstJob
- SME Investment in Skills sponsored by Jaguar Land Rover
- Technician of the Year sponsored by EngTechNow
- Diversity in Engineering award sponsored by MBDA and Wise
The awards are judged by an expert industry led judging panel which will also select an overall winner of the Best of British Engineering Award from the winners of the categories above.
For a full list of finalists see below and for more details log on to www.semta.org.uk/skillsawards
Apprentice of the Year – sponsored by Atkins
Marc Cotton of Mars Chocolate, Reading
Christopher Eckhert of Packaging Automation Ltd, Knutsford, Cheshire
Robyn Clark and Andy Smith of Toyota Motor Manufacturing (UK) Ltd, Derbyshire
Higher Apprentice of the Year – sponsored by Rolls-Royce
Adam Davies of Airbus Operations Ltd, Wirral, Merseyside
Joanne Sharples of BAE Systems Ltd, London
Anna Schlautmann of MBDA UK Ltd, Bolton
Graduate of the Year – sponsored by Marshall
Emma England of Airbus Operations Ltd, Filton, Gloucestershire
Alexander Godfrey of Lockheed Martin UK, Ampthill, Bedfordshire
Akshay Ogale of Rolls-Royce plc, Derby
Skills Champion of the Year – sponsored by BAE Systems
Jason Andrews of Martin Manufacturing Ltd, Louth, Lincolnshire
Jenny Conlon of KMF, Newcastle-under-Lyme
Martin Ridgley MBE of Lindhurst Engineering, Nottingham
Skills Innovation of the Year – sponsored by Siemens
KMF, Newcastle-under-Lyme
Rolls-Royce plc, Derbyshire
Toyota Motor Manufacturing (UK) Ltd, Derby
Training Partner of the Year – sponsored by Get MyFirstJob
Babcock International, Portsmouth
Glasgow Clyde College, Glasgow
EEF, Coventry
Award for SME Investment in Skills – sponsored by Jaguar Land Rover
Automotive Insulations, Rugby
Canal Engineering, Nottingham
Pentaxia Ltd, Derby
Technician of the Year – sponsored by EngTechNow
Jade Aspinall of MBDA UK Ltd, Bolton
Steve Green of Lockheed Martin UK, Ampthill, Bedfordshire
Charlotte Hannaby-Farmer of MBDA UK Ltd, Bolton
Diversity in Engineering award – sponsored by MBDA UK Ltd and WISE
Dawn Bonfield of Women’s Engineering Society, Stevenage
Inspire Young People Ltd, Chalfont St Giles, Buckinghamshire
Marshall Aerospace and Defence Group, Cambridge
