A chance to celebrate businesses of all sizes that are working to champion skills development for the future.
Nominations are now open for the Enginuity Skills Awards 2024, a chance for the brightest and best apprentices to gain recognition for their achievements, and for employers of all sizes to showcase their efforts in championing engineering and manufacturing skills development.
The annual awards are hosted by Enginuity – a charity dedicated to finding new ways of closing the UK’s engineering and manufacturing skills gaps. “At Enginuity, we understand that closing skills gaps in engineering requires helping employers to see opportunities, working to ensure policy delivers against industry’s changing needs, and inspiring more people with engineering skills and careers,” said Ann Watson, Enginuity’s Chief Executive.
One way the charity hopes to inspire people is by introducing a number of new categories for the 10th edition of the Enginuity Skills Awards to be held in Birmingham next summer. These include Training Partner Skills Champion, SME Employer Skills Champion, and Large Employer Skills Champion – all intended to celebrate businesses that have shown dedication to providing the STEM and other hard-to-recruit skills that industry needs to meet the challenges of the future.
The three awards replace a single previous category – Skills Champion of the Year – which was sponsored by EAL, the specialist in qualifications and assessment for the engineering industry, and last won in 2023 by Ruth Devine, Managing Director for the Milton Keynes-based electrical design, installation, and maintenance company SJD Electrical.
Ruth received the award in recognition for her long-time support for engineering skills development both at SJD Electrical and beyond, and impressed the judges with her considerable volunteer work to help improve skills in the industry.
Ruth is Chair of the Electrotechnical Skills Partnership (TESP), where she set up electricalcareers.co.uk to provide trusted advice for anyone seeking a career as an electrician, as well as creating several successful campaigns: ‘Rogue Trainers’ was launched to highlight the misselling of training that doesn’t result in industry recognised qualifications, while ‘Industry into Education’ encouraged employers to inspire people to join the industry.
“I like helping policy work better for employers in the economy. I’m not afraid to be challenging, in a constructive way, and I like bringing people together who wouldn’t normally collaborate. We need to work together as an industry, rather than having competing interests.” Ruth said.
She has also acted as Chair of the Skills Committee for the Electrical Contractors’ Association (ECA), is a founding member of the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education’s Construction Route Panel, and has been active within both the Construction Leadership Council and the UK government’s Construction Skills Delivery Group.
“What Ruth has contributed to the industry is remarkable in terms of the range of what she does and different levels at which she operates,” said Andrew Eldred, Director of Workforce & Public Affairs for the ECA. “She’s an authoritative voice, whether speaking with government or young people; has given enormous amounts of her own time to improving skills in the electrotechnical sector and the wider construction industry; and is a committed champion for the benefits of apprenticeships and T Levels.”
The award also acknowledged Ruth’s dedication to challenging stereotypes and encouraging more women into gaining electrotechnical skills and entering the sector. She regularly speaks at national events to press the importance of inclusivity, works with local schools and colleges to engage more young women with electrotechnical careers, and encourages her own female employees to step up and become visible role-models.
“I’m quite determined and driven to see positive change,” Ruth said. “There’s been a lot of reform in the past ten years and a lot of reform coming, and I’m determined to help see that through.”
The 2024 Enginuity Skills Awards will provide a fresh opportunity for training partners, SMEs, and large employers with a commitment to skills development to showcase their achievements to the wider industry, positively impact employee morale, and network with hundreds of other engineering and manufacturing professionals.
Winners of the four apprenticeship categories this year – Graduate Degree or Higher level apprentice, Advanced level apprentice, Intermediate level apprentice and T Level student will receive a £1,000 prize, with two runners-up for each category also receiving £500.
Nominations close on February 16th, so apply today for your chance to win: enginuity.org/skills-awards-2024.
Join Enginuity to celebrate skills excellence and champions; driving a decade of innovation.
To read similar articles, check out our People & Skills channel.
