EAL celebrates the first Baker Awards for Technical Education at prestigious London ceremony

On 27 January 2026, the Baker Dearing Educational Trust hosted a milestone celebration of technical education at the Baker Award Ceremony held at One Great George Street in Westminster, London, marking the presentation of certificates to the first-ever cohort of Baker Award recipients. EAL was proud to support the event and contribute to recognising the achievements of outstanding students who have excelled in work experience and employer-led learning. 

Celebrating young talent across the UK 

The ceremony brought together young people from University Technical Colleges (UTCs) across England, representing institutions including Doncaster UTC, London Design and Engineering UTC, UTC South Durham, South Devon UTC, The JCB Academy, Leigh UTC, Thomas Telford UTC, UTC Leeds, UTC Norfolk, UTC Oxfordshire, and WMG Academy for Young Engineers in Coventry. 

Hosted by Baker Dearing Educational Trust, the event featured inspirational talks from industry leaders, including Stephen Phipson, Chair of Baker Dearing and CEO of Make UK, Georgia Turner of JCB, Dominic Dawson of Zurich Engineering, and Baker Dearing Life President Lord Baker. Their words emphasised the importance of practical skills and industry exposure in preparing students for future careers. 

Supporting skills and opportunity 

EAL’s Associate Director – Product and Commercial Growth, Anna Fritz, represented EAL on stage to present a number of the awards. Anna commented: “It was a privilege to be part of the first Baker Award celebrations, recognising not just academic success but the real-world skills, resilience and employer engagement that young people are developing.  

“At EAL, our focus is on empowering learners to build the right skills at the right time, and we know that when we champion these values alongside technical education partners like Baker Dearing, we strengthen pathways that help young people build meaningful careers and succeed in the engineering and technical sectors.” 

EAL’s commitment to supporting learners to gain the right skills at the right time aligns closely with the vision of the Baker Award initiative. Through industry-informed qualifications, assessments, and skills solutions, EAL plays an important role in helping young people access opportunities that lead to employment, apprenticeships, and further study. 

The success of this inaugural Baker Award Ceremony underscores the growing importance of employer-led technical education and highlights how collaborative efforts between awarding organisations, industry partners, and educators can open doors for the next generation of skilled professionals. 

Congratulations to all the students recognised – your achievements are helping to shape the future of the UK engineering and manufacturing sector. 

Find out more about Baker Dearing Educational Trust