The Pump Centre is pleased to announce that nominations are now open for the Young Engineer Awards 2026.
The Young Engineer Awards are an annual celebration of engineers in the early stages of their careers. The Pump Centre invites its members to nominate young engineers within their ranks for one of the three categories to recognise the efforts and abilities of this next generation of water industry professionals.
Celebrate Engineering Excellence
The Pump Centre champions the skills and accomplishments of young engineers throughout the water industry. We recognise the importance of nurturing the next generation of professionals so that the sector can continue to grow and develop. The purpose of the Young Engineer Awards is to afford the best and brightest of our young engineers with the recognition they deserve, celebrating the achievements made in their early career and setting them up for further future success.
To aid this goal, the Pump Centre has revised the awards categories for 2026 The new categories are: Craft Apprentice Young Engineer, Student Apprentice Young Engineer, and Professional Young Engineer. Included in these changes is an extension on the categories’ upper age limits, allowing more young engineers than ever before to be able to apply.
Entry Requirements for the Young Engineer Awards 2026
Craft Apprentice Young Engineer candidates must:
- Be 23 years old or less on March 1st 2026
- Have proven engineering experience as appropriate to their field of work
- Primarily be working in the workshop or in the field on hands-on engineering or maintenance-based tasks
Student Apprentice Young Engineer candidates must:
- Be 25 years old or less on March 1st 2026
- Have proven experience on engineering projects as is appropriate to their field of work
- Spend most of their time working outside the workshop in a less hands-on role
- Have a level of responsibility commensurate with that of a student apprentice engineer
- Have or be working towards a formal qualification in engineering or a related subject
Professional Young Engineer candidates must:
- Be 30 years old or less on March 1st 2026
- Have a formal qualification in engineering or a related subject
- Be working in a professional role with engineering or technical responsibilities and experience commensurate with that of a professional engineer
A Rewarding Experience for Young Engineers
Becoming a Young Engineer Awards winner is a defining moment for those starting out in the industry. Winners gain industry-wide recognition for their achievements, increasing their potential and expanding their professional network by connecting them with industry leaders throughout the sector.
- New for 2026, the Pump Centre is proud to announce an enhanced rewards package for the winners, with a value totalling over £1500. The winners of the three categories, plus the recipient of the Derek Jackson Special Achievement Award, will receive:
- A commemorative trophy
- A gift voucher worth £250
- One Pump Centre training course of choice up to the value of £500
- An invite for the winner plus one guest to attend the Water Equipment Show Conference Dinner and Awards Ceremony
- The opportunity to sit on the Pump Centre Council as an Early Careers member
- 4 x 2 hour mentoring sessions with a member of the Pump Centre Team or a Pump Centre Consultant, tailored to the needs of the winner
- A feature article in the Pump Centre publications
- Unlimited use of the winner’s title (including year of award) in the winner’s signature footer
- For the winner’s company, use of the winner’s award and title in their publicity material.
- For each winner’s company, a £350 reduction in the Pump Centre membership fee for their member company for the following membership year
Apply to the Young Engineer Awards 2026
The Pump Centre accepts nominations for the Young Engineer Awards from both the employers and mentors of young engineers, and from the young engineers themselves, promoting an environment where professionals can advocate for their own skills as much as they advocate for their colleagues.
If you are a young engineer interested in applying for an award, the application process is quick and easy to do - simply fill out the online form alongside a nominator and provide endorsement from a representative from a Pump Centre member company. Nominators can also put forward a young professional for consideration via the same form. Read the Pump Centre’s guidance notes and the full entry requirements prior to submission to ensure your best chance at making the shortlist.
After completing the form, the Young Engineer Awards judging panel will carefully consider all applicants to compile a shortlist. Shortlisted individuals will take part in an online interview with the panel in February 2026, from which the winners will be decided. The winners of the Young Engineer Awards 2026 will be presented with their awards at the Water Equipment Show annual dinner, where the Pump Centre celebrates the UK water industry’s brightest young engineers.
The Pump Centre wishes the best of luck to all applicants for Young Engineer Awards 2026!