E.ON celebrates apprentices at the 2026 Apprenticeship & Skills Awards
The annual Apprentice & Skills Awards honoured the very best across our apprenticeship and development community.
As part of National Apprenticeship Week, E.ON UK brought together over 200 apprentices, mentors, leaders and supporters for a memorable day celebrating outstanding achievements, inspiring stories and the bright future of apprenticeships.
With 233 nominations across 10 categories, 50 finalists and nine award winners, the event showcased the exceptional talent and commitment helping to power the UK’s clean energy transition.
Celebrating outstanding achievement
The awards recognise not only individual excellence but the collective effort behind every successful apprenticeship – from mentors and coaches to development teams and skills partners.
Congratulations to all those nominated and to this year’s winners:
- Sarah Ali – Apprentice of the Year (Intermediate)
- Rebecca Griffiths – Apprentice of the Year (Advanced)
- Areeba Hussain – Apprentice of the Year (Higher)
- Tash May – Apprentice Ace
- Steve Bramley – Coach of the Year
- Ashleigh Jade-Fitzpatrick – Apprentice Ambassador
- Darryl Osei-Kufour – Development Networks Champion
- Will Cresswell – Mentor of the Year
- Planet K2 – Skills Partner of the Year
- Nick Cook – Skills Playmaker of the Year
Each winner represents the passion, dedication and forward-thinking mindset that underpins our commitment to developing green skills for the future.
Helen Bradbury, Chief People Officer at E.ON UK, said: “The event highlighted the strength and breadth of our apprenticeship and skills programmes and the impact they have in developing people and the skills essential to deliver the energy transition. My congratulations to all the finalists!”
Spotlight on sustainability and future skills
A key highlight of the day was our Skills Discovery Zone, which brought colleagues together to explore E.ON’s strategic goals of Sustainability, Growth and Digitalisation through hands-on labs and workshops. These interactive sessions focused on the future skills needed for the energy transition – reinforcing the vital role our people play in delivering net zero.
The Sustainability Skills Lab concluded with a keynote from the Rt Hon. Justine Greening, who was instrumental in introducing the Apprenticeship Levy and played a key role in shaping the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Her message underlined the importance of building both individual opportunity and collective capability.
Rt Hon Justine Greening, Chair of the Purpose Coalition, said: “Congratulations to all the shortlisted colleagues, award winners and organisers! Presenting the Skills Playmaker of the Year award was a particular honour, recognising that this celebration is not just about individual progression but about building collective capability. All those shortlisted were incredibly impressive!”
We were also delighted to welcome Toby Perkins and Ben Towers, whose support added to the energy and inspiration of the event.
Powering the clean energy transition
Skills are at the heart of delivering the UK’s clean energy transition. Since 2018, more than 1,200 apprenticeships have been completed at E.ON UK across more than 100 different programmes, spanning engineering, customer service, digital, sustainability and beyond.
Achieving net zero is not only about infrastructure and innovation – it’s about people. By investing in apprenticeships and development pathways, we are equipping our colleagues with the knowledge, confidence and capabilities to support customers and communities through the transition to cleaner, smarter energy.
Congratulations once again to all our nominees and winners. Your achievements are helping to shape the workforce of the future and power a sustainable tomorrow.