High achievers from the engineering industry were named in nine categories at the inaugural SOE Safety & Sustainability Awards ceremony this summer.
Jaguar Experience in Castle Bromwich welcomed guests from each of the Society’s professional sectors to celebrate unique individual and group achievements that deserved special recognition.
Hosted by new Society President Adam Fraser-Hitchen, the ceremony welcomed Patron Sir John Parker to present the awards, with DAF Trucks Aftersales Director Ian Grant delivering an introductory speech, and CIHT President Deborah Sims the keynote speaker.
“At the Society, we celebrate the achievements of our members and recognise their contribution to a progressive and inclusive engineering industry that continues to positively influence wider society,” said Bruce McGill, Chief Executive Officer at the Society.
The awards’ main directive is to champion initiatives that keep us safe, make engineering greener and ensure the profession is welcoming to all.
Nominations came in from all corners of the engineering community, and the ceremony signalled a bright future for engineering at the Society. Jay Rodgers, Bus and Coach Engineering Technician Apprentice at East Yorkshire Buses, won the Apprentice of the Year sponsored by First Bus.
Stuart Pattinson from British Engineering Services won the Richard Hulmes Engineer Surveyor of the Year sponsored by HSB Engineering Insurance while Professor David Cooper from LECS UK won the Sir Moir Lockhead Safety Award sponsored by DAF Trucks.
Darren Astbury, Chief Technician at National Express UK Bus, won the Road Transport Engineer of the Year award sponsored by FCL Organisation, and Tom Green, Senior Integrity Engineer and Technical Manager at Tronox, won the Plant Engineer of the Year sponsored by MCP Consulting Group.
Civil Engineer at the Department for Infrastructure Rachel Owen collected the Environmental Engineer of the Year sponsored by Atlas Copco Compressors and Ian MacDonald from the Hull & East Yorkshire Centre won the Volunteer of the Year award. In the group categories, the IRTE Northern Centre won Region of the Year while Employer of the Year went to Essex County Fire & Rescue, Fleet Services.