On Thursday 11th December 2025, UTC Portsmouth hosted our annual Awards Evening - a celebration of student achievements across all four year groups.
This year, the event took place in the HMS Nelson Wardroom at His Majesty’s Naval Base Portsmouth, kindly hosted by our Executive Employer Partner, the Royal Navy. As well as Royal Navy personnel, we were honoured to welcome the Second Sea Lord, Vice Admiral Paul Beattie, who also delivered an inspiring opening address to our guests.
Second Sea Lord, Vice Admiral Paul Beattie, delivering his speech (photo credit: Royal Navy)
The evening was made possible due to the continued support of our Employer Partners, who sponsored awards, and supported the event. In particular, we would like to thank our five headline sponsors, the Royal Navy, QinetiQ, Lockheed Martin, Airbus and Griffon Marine. Our headline sponsors also showcased their organisations in the exhibition space, with interactive displays and opportunities for our students to speak directly with industry experts.
Students looking at the Royal Navy exhibition stand (photo credit: Royal Navy)
We were also delighted to welcome back three former UTC Portsmouth students: Rebecca Edwards, a Highways Apprentice at Waterman Aspen; Mae Pettit an Engineering Apprentice at Eaton Aerospace; and Ollie Groth, a Digital and Technology Solutions Apprentice at Airbus. All three shared their experiences of life after UTC Portsmouth and reflected on how their time at college prepared them for higher level degree apprenticeships. They highlighted the value of working closely with our Employer Partners during their studies, particularly through our Project Pipeline initiative, which gives students the opportunity to solve real-world industry challenges.
Photo credit: Royal Navy
It was also wonderful to see other UTC Portsmouth alumni in attendance, now working for our Employer Partners, many of whom remember the awards evenings as students themselves.
We are incredibly proud of all our award winners. Nominated by staff and peers, each student demonstrated their commitment, professionalism and ambition that define a UTC Portsmouth education.
Seeing our students receive their awards in front of friends and family was a real highlight of the evening. From Subject Awards through to our STEM Habits Awards, they were all very deserving winners. We look forward to seeing what the future holds for each of them and hope to welcome them back as alumni guests and speakers at future events.
Subject Award Winners
The following students were recognised for outstanding achievement in their subject areas:
Engineer of the Year, sponsored by Eaton Aerospace – Joseph
Engineering Design Award, sponsored by QinetiQ – Sarah
Engineering Manufacture Award, sponsored by Griffin Marine – Cam
Biology Award, sponsored by Portsmouth NHS Trust – Fadl
Chemistry Award, sponsored by Airbus – Maya
Physics Award, sponsored by Eaton Aerospace – Jack
Maths Award, sponsored by Lockheed Martin – Evie
English Award, sponsored by the University of Portsmouth – Ruan
Geography Award, sponsored by the Royal Navy – Vivia
Computer Science Award, sponsored by BAE Systems – Daniyal
Photo credit: Royal Navy
STEM Habit Awards
The following STEM Habit Awards were presented to recognise students who consistently demonstrated our core learning behaviours:
Resilience Award, sponsored by STR Group – Macey
Teamwork Award, sponsored by Steer Automotive – Ace
Communication Award, sponsored by Knights Brown – Tia
Responsibility Award, sponsored by Royal Navy – Eniola
Creative Problem Solving Award, sponsored by Cytiva – Chantelle
Curiosity Award, sponsored by QinetiQ – Thomas
Photo credit: Royal Navy
The evening also served as a fundraiser for our charity, the Wessex STEM Foundation, which supports STEM outreach opportunities across Portsmouth. Funds raised will enable this charity to continue inspiring young people and promoting STEM engagement across the local community.