Education and Skills Newsletter
March 2026
The Stephenson Award 2026
The Worshipful Company of Engineers is one of the City of London Livery Companies, membership reflecting a balance between the principal disciplines of the Engineering profession. The objects of the Company include the development and advancement of the science, art, and practice of engineering for the benefit of the public. Through its Charitable Trust Fund, the Company gives awards to encourage excellence amongst qualified engineers and those in training and education.
The Stephenson Award is for those who have been particularly successful in encouraging young people to study engineering with an emphasis, but not exclusively, on mechanical engineering. This award is accompanied with a £1000 prize, a medal and a certificate presented at the annual awards dinner, to be held this year in the Chartered Accountant’s Hall in London on 9th June.
In 2025 the Stephenson Award was won by Mike Lambert for his outstanding contribution to encouraging young people from all backgrounds into taking up careers in engineering. He was selected from a group of inspiring people across the sector and from a global field of nominees.
Sponsor(s): Liverymen of the Company who are IMechE Members and Rolls Royce PLC.
Eligibility: Typically educationalists, industrialists and leaders of young engineer project competitions.
Award: Medal & £1000 Prize and invitation to The Engineers Trust annual awards dinner.
Success Criteria: A demonstrable success in encouraging young people to study engineering.
Nominations from all sources are accepted. A candidate must be nominated using the attached application/nomination form. Candidates/nominees are required to submit:
1. A completed nomination/application form
2. A short form CV accompanying the nomination. It should be noted that more weight will be given to those nominations for which the nomination is based not on their day to day job role.
All candidates will be notified of the results in April 2026 and the award will be presented at the annual Engineers Trust awards dinner, held this year in the Chartered Accountants Hall on 9 June.
For nominations and any further information please email Jimmy Barnard, the award coordinator at
stephenson.award@engineerscompany.org.uk
The closing date for nominations is
31 March 2026
Inspire the Next Generation by Training Others at Your Local College
Have you spent years honing your engineering skills to keep the industry moving forward?
The UK currently needs 59,000 new engineers every year, but skills shortages threaten progress. If you’re looking for a new challenge, starting a career in further education (FE) and passing on your skills to the next generation could be a great next step.
FE is education for learners aged 16+ who aren’t in school or studying for a degree. In settings such as colleges, FE offers hands on learning across technical and vocational subjects. Engineering is a key subject area within FE, with colleges seeking professionals to train the next generation in specialisms from mechanical and electrical engineering to CAD, and health and safety.
With your real world skills and industry experience, you’ve already got what it takes to train others in FE. You can complete teacher training on the job, with employer support. There are also some part-time roles available so you can train others at your local college alongside your current role and personal commitments.
As former engineer turned FE trainer Andrew Foulks shares, “I realised the skills I’d built -interpreting complex technical drawings, troubleshooting machinery, integrating systems – were exactly what colleges needed to help train the next generation of engineering professionals.”
Join our upcoming webinar to hear you can become an FE trainer and the support available to you.
Register here, and share with your networks.