Engineers earn training and development accolade 

Engineering firm adi Group has been recognised at a prestigious industry awards ceremony. 

The Birmingham business received the Training and Development Global Award 2023, at IChemE’s 2023 Awards dinner at Hilton Birmingham Metropole. 

Established in 1994, the IChemE Global Awards are the world’s most prestigious chemical engineering awards, celebrating engineering excellence and covering a broad spectrum of categories that recognise innovation, social responsibility and sustainability efforts, outstanding projects and much more. 

With a strong entry focusing on its renwowned pre-apprenticeship and apprenticeship programmes, adi Group demonstrated its commitment to upskilling the next generation of engineers to help close the widening STEM skills gap. 

The Training and Development Award recognises businesses that excel in the training and development of staff or education of the wider community, addressing skills and knowledge gaps and overall having a positive impact on the industry. 

Alan Lusty, adi Group’s CEO, said: “We are honoured to have been awarded the prestigious IChemE Award, and to be recognised for our efforts towards a cause that is of extreme importance to our business. 

“Since the very beginning of adi, we have been working to provide the engineers of tomorrow with viable opportunities to embark on a successful engineering career, and we are incredibly proud of the success of our programmes.” 

Alan began his career as an apprentice, gaining a deep awareness and understanding of the benefits that come with such a practical and hands-on education. 

Youth skills development has since become an integral part of the group’s mantra and mission to ‘engineer a better future’ 

James Sopwith, group strategic account director and head of the pre-apprenticeship academy, said: “We are deeply aware of the staggering national engineering skills gap and the threat it poses.  

“This is why we have worked to link together industry and education through opportunities that differ from more traditional academic routes. 

“One of our main objectives is to tackle the skills gap issue, but also to change misconceptions about engineering and support societal challenges on a more local level.” 

With over 10 per cent of its workforce being full time apprentices, adi Group aims to be a leader, not only in the provision of engineering apprenticeships, but also with a vison to inspire its current and future employees, and to be an employer that people aspire to work for.