IRTE Bus & Coach Skills Challenge 2026
Founded in 2011, IRTE Skills Challenge is an annual competition showcasing the exceptional skills of the engineering stars working in road transport across both the PSV and HGV sectors.
Celebrating Excellence in Bus and Coach Engineering
Welcome to the 12th annual Bus and Coach Skills Challenge, hosted by IRTE. This prestigious event showcases the best in road transport engineering and brings together industry professionals from around the world.
Register to enter the Skills Challenge
Please complete the form below to register your interest to IRTE Skills Challenge 2026. Please provide as much detail as possible to help us allocate teams accordingly. Deadlines to submit info about your participants for the PSV competition is 4 May 2026. Once you have completed the form, a member of the Skills Challenge team will reach out to you in due course to gather further information about your participants.
Event Schedule and Key Dates
Deadline for PSV competitors to submit their entries.
Where competitors from the PSV Sector around the country take on the challenge at S&B Automotive Academy in Bristol.
Where competitors from the HGV Sector around the country take on the challenge at DAF’s Apprentice Academy, Nottingham.
Competitors, operators, press and sponsors come together to celebrate the winners.
Past IRTE Event Snaps
Steering the future of skills in bus and coach engineering
Founded in 2011, IRTE Skills Challenge is an annual competition showcasing the exceptional skills of the engineering stars working in road transport across both the PSV and HGV sectors.
Teams of qualified and apprentice technicians compete in a series of electrical, mechanical and bodywork challenges at S&B Automotive Academy in Bristol to find the best in bus and coach.
In 2025 the competition was opened to technicians working on HGV vehicles for the first time, with the testing taking place at DAF Apprentice Academy in Nottingham.
Whether you’re a small, medium, or large operator, we invite you to put forward your best teams to compete in this prestigious, DVSA-backed initiative. Don’t miss the chance to be part of an award-winning event that celebrates the very best in the industry and shapes the future of road transport engineering.
Join the Society of Operations Engineers and gain access to professional development resources, networking events, and career support.
Hear from our sector specialists
I have been a member of Cornwall Centre IRTE for 30 years and very privileged to be Honorary Secretary for the past 23 years. In my time with the IRTE I have visited many great places, organisations and manufacturers and received brilliant presentations from numerous professionals delivering transport and engineering related topics. None of these great experiences would ever...
I have been a proud member of SOE since 2007 and have actively supported the institute through volunteer roles since 2022. I am passionate about the vital work the SOE undertakes to raise and maintain professional standards across the BES sector and beyond. My contributions include coaching and mentoring candidates through the professional registration process, reviewing applications, and conducting...
My involvement with SOE has been extremely positive and rewarding. As a member of both the IRTE Professional Sector Council and the Membership and Professional Standards Committee, I have had the opportunity to contribute to the organisation while supporting and guiding fellow engineers.
By celebrating achievements, creating progression opportunities, accrediting firm’s training programmes and showing employees commitment to their development, we can boost retention and future proof the workforce.
Upcoming Events & Webinars
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