Next generation of agricultural engineers supported with NNAS bursaries

Fifteen young technicians have been recognised in this year's Midlands Agricultural Engineering Apprenticeship Awards, earning bursaries to support their future careers.

Sir Mark Spencer, President of the Newark & Nottinghamshire Agricultural Society (NNAS), presented the trainee technicians with their prizes at the Newark Vintage Tractor & Heritage Show on 7 November.

The ceremony marked a decade of support from the agricultural society, which contributes £1,000 to each individual, split over two years.   

Thirteen apprentices received the first stage of their award, while two returned to collect their second stage. Many choose to invest the bursary in essential tools, training and equipment as they progress in their careers.

Presenting the awards, Sir Mark Spencer said: “Agriculture, food production and the engineering behind it will become more and more important in the future, which is why we need the very best young people to choose a career in engineering.

“To those receiving awards I say thank you for choosing this career, and for the work you will do in the future to keep the country fed and food on the shelves, while protecting the environment and tackling the challenges of climate change.”

From Zambia to Sharmans

Among this year's recipients is 23-year-old Robert Francis, an apprentice with Sharmans Agricultural at its Stamford depot. Born in Zimbabwe, Robert grew up on his family's farm in Zambia, which grows tobacco, soybeans and maize in the summer, and wheat and barley in the winter, alongside around 300 head of beef cattle and goats.

"I wanted to go and explore the world, so I came over to the UK on my own in 2023," said Robert. "I started out working on farms, and then decided to apply for the apprenticeship at Sharmans. I love it, although the winters are a bit colder than I'm used to!"

Robert plans to put his bursary towards tools, including specialist measuring equipment.

"We work on any machine that comes in, from Case and JCB to Amazone drills and fertiliser spreaders, so you end up knowing a bit about everything," he added. "The bursary will go towards tools that will be useful in the long run.”

Robert was one of seven apprentices from Sharmans at the ceremony. Another was his Stamford depot colleague, 21-year-old Lucy Storer.

Lucy began working at the outlet in July. Before then, she spent six months volunteering on a local farm run by family friends, building practical skills in machinery maintenance and repair.

"I was told about the award by my apprentice mentor and thought it would be a great opportunity to build my tool range. I've already got a list of things I want," said Lucy. "I really enjoyed my time on the farm, and with family in engineering it felt like a natural progression. I like working on everything, so I'm not focusing on one area just yet."

Investing in the right tools

Evan Burrow, 19, joined Chandlers Farm Equipment at its Belton depot in July 2025. Before starting his apprenticeship, he completed a Level 2 in land-based engineering at Riseholme College, where he now studies the theory side of his apprenticeship, followed by a Level 3 in mechanical engineering at Lincoln College.

"The qualified technicians and other apprentices had all won this award and told me how it helped them invest in new tools, so I decided in my first year that I wanted to apply in my second," said Ed. "As you go through your apprenticeship, you realise which tools you need and how expensive they are. We work on all sorts of machinery at the depot, including American ride-on mowers from Grasshopper, so imperial spanners and sockets will be my first port of call.

"I live in a very rural area, I play hockey with farmers and I've always been around farms, so it was easy to be drawn into the industry. Studying at Lincoln pointed more towards manufacturing and CNH machinery, and that made me realise agriculture is definitely where I want to be. There's nothing else I'd rather do."

For more information about the Midlands Agricultural Engineering Apprenticeship Awards, visit https://newarkandnotts.com/apprenticeship-award.

This year's award recipients

Sharmans

• Ethan Day

• Robert Francis

• Samuel Melton

• Lucy Storer

• Harry Wiley

• Jack Wright

• Edward Moisey (Year 2 recipient)

Chandlers

• Evan Burrow

• Thomas Crane (Year 2 recipient)

Other dealers

• Tom Handley, Ripon Farm Services

• Jack Heppenstall, Chantry Agricultural Engineers

• Harry Lamb, B&B Group

• Henry Smith, Claas Eastern

• Edward Townsend, David Eaton Tractors

• Liam Tudge, Farol