Rising stars of manufacturing and engineering to be celebrated in Leeds awards

Manufacturing and engineering employers in Leeds are being urged to nominate outstanding younger talent from among their own organisations for an awards initiative that is now in its second year.

The Leeds Manufacturing Festival Awards aim to identify and recognise the achievements of the industry’s next generation of rising stars and potential business leaders.

The awards, which will take place in Leeds on 20 April, were launched in 2022 to highlight the successes and achievements of younger people already working in manufacturing and engineering. They also aim to promote the diverse modern career opportunities on offer in a sector that is facing a severe shortage of new employees with the right skills and technical qualifications.

Entries are for the Leeds Manufacturing Festival Awards are now open and close on 3 April. This year’s awards categories are ‘apprentice of the year’, ‘rising star of the year’, ‘future leader’ and the new ‘employer of the year’ category, recognising a business that has been outstanding in attracting and nurturing talented younger employees.

Ben Wilson, chair of Leeds Manufacturing Alliance and director of Leeds-based glass reinforced plastic moulds manufacturer MPM, said: “Leeds Manufacturing Festival is all about highlighting manufacturing as a tremendously rewarding industry to work in and attracting the next generation of talent to the sector.

“As with the outstanding younger employees who were selected to win last year’s awards, I know that this year’s winners will also be superb role models and ambassadors for Leeds’ manufacturing sector and for the festival, helping to spread the message that manufacturing is a great place to work and with a vast range of career options on offer.

“The awards were a standout feature of the 2022 Leeds Manufacturing Festival and this year’s event promises to be bigger and better than ever. We’re urging manufacturing employers to put forward any younger team members that deserve recognition for their contribution to the business.”

“Manufacturing is a fantastic career choice and we hope that the awards will help to highlight that, along with all the other events that are taking place over the course of the festival.”

Entry forms for the Leeds Manufacturing Festival Awards can be found on the festival website and entries must be received by 3 April. The awards ceremony will take place on 20 April, hosted by MPM. 

Now in its sixth year, Leeds Manufacturing Festival runs until July. This year’s events include manufacturing ‘treks’, where school and college students visit factories across the city, as well as live careers panels and a careers showcase connecting around 20 manufacturing employers with Leeds students.

The festival is sponsored by Leeds City College, engineering and manufacturing recruiter E3 Recruitment, and Next Gen Makers, which runs a benchmarking and accreditation scheme for manufacturing and engineering apprenticeships. It is organised by the Leeds Manufacturing Alliance and supported by Leeds City Council, Leeds City Region LEP, Leeds Chamber and the Ahead Partnership.