Young people starting their careers in agricultural engineering are being invited to apply for a £500 Midlands Agricultural Engineering Apprenticeship Award.

The award is run by the Newark and Nottinghamshire Agricultural Society (NNAS), in association with the Midlands Machinery Show, and provides a £500 bursary, paid in two instalments, to apprentices aged 17–25 to help with training and career development.

To qualify, applicants must be working for an agricultural engineering business, studying at an academic institution, and employed by a company exhibiting at this year’s Midlands Machinery Show.

William Vines from Chandlers Farm Equipment in Spilsby, Lincolnshire, was one successful applicant who was presented with his award in 2024. He said, “I applied for the award because I felt like it was a really good way to bring in new apprentices to the industry.

“The £500 is massively helpful. It’s expensive to buy tools nowadays, tools that you do need in order to do your job better and more efficiently. It’s definitely worthwhile getting involved and applying for the award.”

Simon Eccleston, Chief Executive of NNAS, said, “We’re very proud of our long-standing initiative which shines a spotlight on young engineers at the very start of their careers.

“Apprentices are vital to the future of agricultural engineering. They bring energy, fresh thinking and new skills into businesses at a time when machinery performance, efficiency and productivity has never been more important to businesses.

“This award not only gives them recognition, but also provides practical financial support to help them invest in tools, training or resources that will set them up for the long term.”

The winners will be announced at the Midlands Machinery Show on Wednesday 19 November 2025, when the event returns in a new one-day format at Newark Showground.

Application forms and full entry criteria are available at www.midlandsmachineryshow.com with the deadline for submissions set for Friday 10 October 2025.