Entries open for Leeds Manufacturing Festival Awards as new generation reshapes sector’s image

Entries have opened for this year’s Leeds Manufacturing Festival Awards, with manufacturing and engineering employers across West Yorkshire being encouraged to put forward their most promising young talent at a time when a new generation is helping to redefine the industry’s image.

Now in their fifth year, the awards, which take place in June, recognise apprentices, rising stars and future leaders in manufacturing and engineering, while also highlighting the employers that are creating opportunities for young people to build long-term careers in the sector.

Organisers say this year’s awards come as increasing numbers of young people are choosing manufacturing pathways that offer variety, progression and hands-on experience, challenging outdated perceptions of the industry.

Ben Wilson, managing director of MPM Group and spokesperson for the festival, said:

“What we’re seeing across the sector is a new generation coming through with a completely different view of manufacturing. They are embracing the opportunities to develop skills, work with new technologies and build a career.

“The awards are about recognising that talent and making it visible. When you showcase the people behind the industry, it helps change perceptions and encourages others to follow.”

Among those already benefiting from that recognition are last year’s young award winners.

Eesa Mahmood an apprentice fabricator and welder at prefabricated pipework manufacturer Waites Mechanical Services, scooped last year’s Apprentice of the Year Award.

“Winning the award gave me a real confidence boost and made me realise how much I’ve progressed,” said Eesa. “Since starting out, I’ve developed a wide range of skills and taken on new challenges.

“It’s an industry where you can keep learning and improving, and I think more people would consider it if they understood what it’s really like.”

Kiera Barrass, an engineering operative apprentice at Leeds Welding Company, who was a winner in the Rising Stars category, added:

“The award win has helped me gain the confidence to believe that I can make a good life for myself in engineering.

“I might be small in stature but I’ve been able to achieve just as highly as my male colleagues in this industry and can see a range of options ahead. I now have a clear sense of what I want to do in the career that I have studied for.”

Award categories include Apprentice of the Year, Rising Star, Future Manufacturing Leader, Mentor of the Year, Graduate of the Year, SME and Employer of the Year, alongside a Manufacturing Ambassador Award.

Each award will be presented by a sponsor, with the Manufacturing Ambassador accolade awarded to the person judged to have done most over the last 12 months to promote and raise the profile of the manufacturing sector.

The awards form part of the wider Leeds Manufacturing Festival and will take place at Leeds Beckett University on 4 June, with nominations open until 17 May.

Cash prizes will be awarded to winners, and a donation to the Howarth Foundation, a charity that works with business to help people who are homeless into employment or training, will be made on behalf of the Employer of the Year.