Spencer Group and education provider, Ron Dearing University Technical College (UTC), have been recognised for their joint commitment to developing a high-quality pipeline of young talent in a prestigious national industry awards.
The partners were named as finalists in the Training Partner Skills Champion of the Year category at the 2026 Enginuity Skills Awards.
Now in its 12th year, the Enginuity Skills Awards celebrate the students, apprentices, employers, teams and educators shaping the future of the UK engineering and manufacturing sectors.
The partnership of Spencer Group and Ron Dearing UTC was shortlisted for the award in recognition of the impact the two organisations have had in creating opportunities for young people and supporting the development of future talent across the engineering, construction and digital sectors.
Hull-based Spencer Group and Ron Dearing UTC created a formal employer–education partnership in 2017, designed to develop a sustainable, long-term talent pipeline in the city.
Alongside the school’s fellow Founding Partners, Spencer Group identified that many young people lacked exposure to real business settings, professional behaviours, and the confidence required to succeed in a fast-paced engineering organisation.
That led to the founding of Ron Dearing UTC to pioneer an employer engaged education model with a curriculum directly aligned to regional skills demand and future employment opportunities.
Since the early days of the partnership, Spencer Group and Ron Dearing have moved beyond traditional employer engagement by building a fully-integrated relationship that connects education, recruitment and skills development into one continuous pathway.
Spencer Group is fully embedded in the school community, with its employees advising on qualifications, leading aspects of careers education, and developing curriculum projects which enable students to work alongside the company’s employees on projects and challenges set by the business.
The business offers high-quality work placements to students with, on average, 30 work experience placements per year. Placements are designed to mirror the apprenticeship recruitment process and allow the young people to get a flavour of working life.
Spencer Group also exclusively accepts apprenticeship applications from Ron Dearing UTC students. Since 2019, 77 students have been recruited into roles within the business, with 43 still employed, demonstrating strong retention and long-term impact.
Spencer Group HR Director Yvonne Moir and Ron Dearing UTC Principal, Sarah Pashley joined fellow finalists for the glittering awards ceremony at the Park Plaza Westminster Bridge in London.
Yvonne said: “Although we didn’t bring home the trophy this time, we’re delighted to have been named as a finalist in recognition of our long-standing relationship with Ron Dearing.
“We know first-hand from the many success stories of former Ron Dearing students who’ve joined us as apprentices and worked their way up to full-time employment, that this education model delivers in creating work-ready young people, but being acknowledged by a leading industry awards body is especially rewarding.”
Sarah said: “Since day one, Spencer Group has been an integral part in the success of Ron Dearing and Spencer Group’s colleagues have become an extension of our teaching team.
“The level of collaboration goes beyond traditional employer engagement. Spencer Group’s team plays a vital role in steering our careers guidance and education, not only helping to shape the curriculum but working with teaching staff to deliver sessions and provide students with the key employability skills needed to succeed in the working world.”