The Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) has opened its call for entries for the IET Apprentice and Technician of the year awards.
The awards are an opportunity for three apprentices and technicians to win £1,000 each. Also, an apprentice, a technician and an Armed Forces technician, will gain two years’ free membership of the IET and payment of their technician professional registration application fee.
The awards, which are running for the third consecutive year, aim to raise the profile of the high quality work that apprentices and technicians contribute to engineering businesses. This can be judged through outstanding engineering and technical ability, knowledge and understanding or by taking on an ambassadorial role in schools, through volunteer work or as role models.
William Webb, IET President, said: “The contributions that apprentices make to our industry are invaluable, yet they are not often recognised. The IET wants to showcase the hard work and dedication that apprentices bring to engineering and ensure that we continue to support future generations. These awards give us the perfect opportunity to give credit where it is due.
“Apprenticeships continue to remain top of every Government’s agenda and the IET supports this view – we want to help improve the quality and reliability of apprenticeships through our Professional Home for Life®. The role of an apprentice is essential to the industry growing and developing over the coming years.”
One of the three winners from last year was Jade Aspinall, a Manufacturing Engineer Apprentice at MBDA UK. On winning the award, Jade said: “I was thrilled to win the IET Apprentice of the Year award, not just because it filled me with a strong sense of pride for my work, but because it raised my profile both at MBDA and in the industry. I know this industry was the right choice for me and I hope I can inspire other young people to take up this rewarding career.”
Candidates can submit their application via the IET website before the deadline on 29 May. The winners will be announced at the IET Achievement Awards Ceremony, which will take place in London on Wednesday, 18 November 2015.