Babcock wins two Enginuity Skills Awards for UK engineering talent

Babcock has won two national skills awards for its work to develop future engineering and manufacturing talent across the UK.

The defence company was recognised at the Enginuity Skills Awards 2026, which celebrate organisations and initiatives helping to address skills challenges across the UK’s industrial sectors.

Babcock received the Large Employer Skills Champion of the Year award for its Emerging Talent Programme and the New Talent Inspiration Programme of the Year award for its Production Support Operative programme.

The awards come as defence and advanced manufacturing employers continue to place greater emphasis on workforce development, apprenticeships and alternative entry routes into industry. For companies supporting complex defence programmes, skills pipelines are increasingly seen as a core part of long-term industrial resilience.

Babcock recognised for engineering skills and early careers

Jennifer McElhinney, interim chief people officer at Babcock, said the awards recognised the work taking place across the company to develop the skills needed for the future.

“Winning these two awards is fantastic recognition of the innovative work taking place across Babcock to develop the skills we need for the future,” she said.

“From creating new routes into engineering through our PSO programme to building long-term capability through Emerging Talent, we’re committed to opening opportunities, developing people and strengthening the skills that underpin sovereign capability.

“These awards belong to the many colleagues, partners and communities who have helped make these programmes such a success.”

Babcock’s Emerging Talent Programme supports the development of future engineers, technicians and business professionals through apprenticeships, graduate schemes and other early-careers pathways.

The Production Support Operative programme has been developed as an alternative route into engineering and manufacturing, giving participants practical skills, experience and opportunities to progress into long-term careers.

Supporting UK defence manufacturing skills

Babcock said the double award success reflected its continued investment in creating new pathways into engineering and manufacturing, while developing the long-term capability needed to support sovereign defence and industrial capacity.

The company works across the UK and international defence markets, delivering support and product solutions for defence capabilities and critical assets.

Enginuity is a charity focused on helping to close skills gaps in UK engineering and manufacturing, with a particular emphasis on improving productivity and supporting the sectors that design, make and maintain the technologies needed to address major societal challenges.