Institution news
Now in its eleventh year, the Apprentice Automation Challenge is an annual engineering challenge that enables apprentice teams to design, develop, and showcase a prototype device aimed at automating a common product or process.
By applying a combination of engineering knowledge, practical skills, and creativity, participants gain valuable hands-on experience while working on a project that closely mirrors real-world challenges. Alongside other student engineering competitions organized by the Institution, the Challenge plays a vital role in IMechE’s mission to nurture and enhance the skills of the next generation of engineers.
Companies with apprentices taking part this year include returning teams from BAE Systems, Thales, Niftylift, Leonardo, ITP Aero and Ricoh UK, together with new entrants from Babcock International and AWE; read the full list.
The next step will see teams join a welcome webinar hosted by IMechE this week that will further outline expectations and provide teams with a chance to get answers to their burning questions. They will also be joined by members of 2024’s winning team from Niftylift, who will impart some advice to this year's teams.
Apprentice teams will then go on to the design, manufacturing and optimisation process of realising their prototypes, with a variety of products from recycling devices to self-measuring cooking gadgets and physical braille products among those announced so far. Apprentices will provide regular updates over the coming months up ahead of the finals later in the year, which will return to the Manufacturing Technology Centre at the end September 2025, where judges will assess their prototypes and quiz the entrants on their engineering choices.
The winning team will secure the £2,000 prize and bragging rights, along with the opportunity to join the prestigious TMMX Awards and exhibit their work at next year's Smart Manufacturing and Engineering Week.
Fans and teams can keep up to date via the Challenge’s X, Facebook and LinkedIn social media channels, feel free to keep up to date with their progress as the teams go through the stages of the competition.
The Institution of Mechanical Engineers and the Apprentice Automation Challenge is grateful for the continued support of its partners The Manufacturing Technology Centre and The Manufacturer magazine.