The IRTE Northern Centre hosted its prestigious Young Engineer and Apprentice Awards following the Annual General Meeting in February 2025.
The event, now in its seventh year, attracted over 80 members and guests, showcasing the exceptional talent within the engineering community.
Recognising Emerging Talent
Initiated in 2018 by Honorary Secretary Neil Mitchell, the awards provide a platform for engineering managers, mentors, foremen, and workshop controllers from franchised dealerships, fleet operators, and independent workshops to nominate their outstanding young staff members. The nomination process involves creating a detailed professional and personal profile of the nominee, including their role, employment duration, competencies, training achievements, qualifications, attitude, and teamwork capabilities.
A judging panel from the Northern Centre Committee meticulously reviews submissions and may contact nominators for additional details to ensure a thorough evaluation.
Award Categories and Winners
This year’s awards were divided into four categories: Young Coach-Bus Engineer of the Year, Young Truck Engineer of the Year, and Apprentice of the Year for both HGV and PCV sectors. The winners received certificates, commemorative glass plaques, and Halfords gift vouchers. Highly commended participants were also recognised with certificates and vouchers.
Full list of winners and commendations:
Young Bus-Coach Engineer of the Year 2025
• Winner: Joshua Reed (Stagecoach Engineering)
• Highly Commended: Michael Cotton (Stagecoach Engineering), Marco Jackson (Stagecoach Engineering)
Bus-Coach Apprentice of the Year 2025
• Winner: Logan Davies (Archway Travel Limited Fleetwood)
• Highly Commended: Zach Hulse (Stagecoach Engineering), Mathew Houghton (Stagecoach Engineering)
Young Truck Engineer of the Year 2025
• Winner: Jake Cowburn (MULTEVO Darwen)
• Highly Commended: Ethan Ryan (Veolia)
Truck Apprentice of the Year 2025
• Winner: Jack Glover (Preston Scania - Haydock Group)
• Highly Commended: Cody Hall (Lancashire County Council Bamber Bridge), Camryn Dobbie (Lancashire DAF Preston), Charlie Haworth (MULTEVO Darwen), Jake Prickett (Lancashire County Council Bamber Bridge), Bailey Briggs (Wyre Council Fleetwood), Declan Gillespie (NRG)
Special Awards for Engineering Endeavour
Two additional accolades celebrated exceptional contributions:
• The Michael Sweetmore Award for Engineering Endeavour in the bus-coach sector was presented to Zach Hulse (Stagecoach).
• The Chris Grime Award for Engineering Endeavour in the truck category went to Declan Gillespie (NRG).
The IRTE Northern Centre Committee expressed gratitude to all managers who nominated young engineers for this year’s awards. For the nominees who were unable to attend, presentations were made at their workplaces.
These awards exemplify the Society of Operations Engineers’ commitment to fostering young talent and raising industry standards. By celebrating these achievements, SOE continues to inspire innovation and professional excellence within engineering.