IRTE Skills Challenge 2026 celebrates road transport engineering talent

Celebrating the 2026 competitors

The 2026 IRTE Skills Challenge wrapped up with the Awards Ceremony on 25 September at the British Motor Museum in Gaydon.

Sponsors, teams, industry experts and guests gathered for an afternoon celebrating the achievements of this year’s competitors and recognising the support of the wider industry.

The ceremony provided an opportunity to recognise the achievements of this year’s winners and runners-up, while celebrating everyone who took part in making the 2026 competition such a success.

SOE would like to congratulate all of the 2026 IRTE Skills Challenge winners and runners-up, and thank every competitor, team, sponsor, volunteer, supplier and supporter who contributed to another successful year.

View the full gallery of the day here.

Putting skills to the test

The 2026 IRTE Skills Challenge brought together apprentices and technicians from across the road transport industry, with competitors putting their practical skills and technical knowledge to the test across the PSV and HGV competitions.

Across the testing days, competitors faced demanding practical challenges that pushed them beyond their usual roles, while giving them the opportunity to learn from and compete alongside fellow engineers from across the industry.

This year’s PSV Skills Challenge took place from 1–3 June, returning to S&B Automotive Academy in Bristol.

Teams from National Express, Arriva London, First Bus, Ensign Bus, Go-Ahead London, Lothian Buses, Metroline Manchester, Metroline London, Trent Barton and Reading Buses took part in three days of practical testing.

The second annual HGV Skills Challenge followed on 20 August at the DAF Apprentice Academy in Nottingham, and welcomed teams from TIP Group, Veolia, Gist Engineering and John Lewis.

Competitors worked through a series of assessments covering key areas of PSV and HGV engineering, including mechanical and electrical tasks designed to test their knowledge and promote skills development.

Celebrating 15 years of the Challenge

SOE Chief Executive Emma Thompson said this year was particularly special, marking the 15^th year of the Skills Challenge.

“I’ve had the privilege of being part of that journey since the beginning, and it’s been incredibly rewarding to see how much the Challenge has grown,” she said.

“What started as a competition to test technical skills has developed into a platform for celebrating excellence, investing in skills and supporting the next generation of engineers.

“The standard of competition this year was incredibly high, and the commitment from every competitor was clear throughout the testing days.

“It also gives employers an opportunity to recognise and celebrate the skills being developed within their teams.”

Over 15 years, the IRTE Skills Challenge has become an established part of the road transport engineering calendar, giving technicians and engineers the opportunity to put their training to the test and gain recognition for their technical skills.

Preparing engineers for the future

This year’s competitions also reflected the changing nature of road transport engineering, with electric vehicle technology featuring more prominently in the testing.

Headline sponsor Pelican Engineering Group provided an electric vehicle for PSV competitors to work on, giving them valuable hands-on experience with the technologies shaping the future of the industry.

“Developing and retaining skilled engineers remains important to the industry’s future,” Ms Thompson said.

“The Skills Challenge also reflects the collaborative nature of the road transport engineering industry, bringing competitors, employers, assessors, sponsors and industry professionals together.

“While the competition is about putting skills to the test, it is equally about sharing knowledge, encouraging new talent and celebrating the people helping to shape the future of the sector.”

Thank you to our supporters and sponsors

Ms Thompson said the IRTE would like to thank the sponsors, supporters, judges, volunteers and team members who contributed to the success of the event.

“We are incredibly grateful to all of our sponsors for their continued support of the IRTE Skills Challenge,” she said.

“Their investment helps us deliver these competitions and provide competitors with the opportunity to test themselves in a professional environment.”

The 2026 Challenge was supported by headline sponsor Pelican Engineering Group, alongside Febi Truck, GTG Engineering, Imperial Engineering, Disc-Lock and TengTools.

Supporters included the DVSA, and venue hosts S&B Automotive Academy and DAF Apprentice Academy.

2026 IRTE Skills Challenge winners

Congratulations to all of our winners and runners-up.

PSV Categories

Apprentice Categories

PSV Electrical Apprentice
Runner-up: Kabir Shah, Metroline London
Winner: Neil Woolley, National Express

PSV Mechanical Apprentice
Runner-up: Matthew Tilluck, Reading Buses
Winner: Adnan Thakur, National Express

PSV Mechelec Apprentice
Runner-up: Connor Maguire, First Bus Manchester
Winner: Andrius Sausdravas, Go Ahead London

PSV DVSA Inspection Apprentice
Runner-up: Andrius Sausdravas, Go Ahead London
Winner: Marc Burns, National Express

PSV Electric Driveline Apprentice
Runner-up: Kabir Shah, Metroline London
Winner: Neil Woolley, National Express

PSV Qualified Categories

PSV Electric Technician
Runner-up: Peter Blake, First Bus London
Winner: Harrison Coombes, Go Ahead London

PSV Mechanical Technician
Runner-up: Dean Bedding, Arriva London
Winner: Kai Steadman, Ensign Bus

PSV Mechelec Technician
Runner-up: Kian Nelson, First Bus London
Winner: Will Snell, Go Ahead London

PSV DVSA Inspection Technician
Runner-up: Chris Sayers, Go Ahead London
Winner: Marc Ormiston, Lothian Buses

PSV Electric Driveline Technician
Runner-up: Harrison Coombes, Go Ahead London
Winner: Edric Manders-Robinson, Metroline London

Master Technician
Runner-up: Jack Davidson, Reading Buses
Winner: Harry Burns, Trent Barton

HGV Categories

HGV Inspection Technician
Runner-up: Jordan Lomas, John Lewis
Winner: Ben Newell, Gist Engineering

HGV Mechanical Technician
Runner-up: Charles Mcewen, John Lewis
Winner: Jordan Lomas, John Lewis

HGV Electrical Technician
Runner-up: Joshua Barber, TIP Group
Winner: Ben Newell, Gist Engineering

HGV Judges’ Choice
Winner: Charles Mcewen, John Lewis