On Wednesday, 18th February 2026, Su attended the Engineering Trust Annual Awards at the British Motor Museum in Gaydon. A fitting venue, surrounded by decades of British engineering innovation, to celebrate the people building its future.

This was Su's fifth year judging the Apprentice Employer of the Year award on behalf of Priddey Marketing, and once again, the standard was exceptionally high.

Why This Category Matters

At Priddey Marketing, we support engineering, manufacturing and technology organisations to grow in a structured way. Growth is rarely limited by ambition. More often, it is constrained by capability.

That is why apprenticeships matter.

The Apprentice Employer of the Year award recognises organisations that demonstrate:

• A whole-business commitment to apprenticeships, beyond basic compliance

• Evidence of embracing diversity

• Structured mentoring and development

• Evidence of innovation

• Clear evidence of positive impact on both the apprentice and the business

What Stood Out This Year

The amazing 2026 finalists were Atlassian Williams Racing, Cleenol, EP Barrus and ercol. They all showed:

• Clear progression pathways

• Senior leadership involvement

• Diversity across age, background and ability

• Outreach, to strengthen the future talent pipeline

Choosing a winner was genuinely challenging. The winner was ercol, the award was collected by Roy Graves. They were chosen due to their detailed measured outcomes and innovative outreach not just to secondary schools but also primary schools.

A Wider Reflection

We often talk about the engineering skills gap. But solving it requires more than commentary. The Engineering Trust Apprenticeship Awards are independently judged and during the evening we many worthy finalists and winners were celebrated. You can see the full list on the Engineering Trust website.

It requires employers who are willing to:

• Invest consistently

• Create clear development pathways

• Provide proper mentoring support

• Measure impact and refine over time

• Continually learn and innovate

From a commercial perspective, this is simply good business. Organisations that develop talent internally reduce risk, protect knowledge and strengthen culture.

Final Thought

The Engineering Trust Awards continue to highlight not only technical excellence, but commitment, structure and leadership.

Congratulations to all finalists and winners. The future of engineering depends on employers who take responsibility for developing the next generation.

And encouragingly, there are many who do.