A team of apprentices from Milton Keynes-based Niftylift, have won the 2025 IMechE Apprentice Automation Challenge.
The company’s second consecutive victory in the prestigious national competition.
The finals took place at the Manufacturing Technology Centre in Coventry, where a record 17 apprentice teams from across the UK competed to design and showcase innovative automated products.
Niftylift’s winning team, called Elevation Nation, impressed the judges with their creation, the Automated Stirrer, a clever kitchen aid that makes cooking easier through hands-free stirring. Designed and built entirely by the apprentices, the product demonstrates both creativity and engineering skill, offering practical benefits for everyday use.
“The prototype they developed showed iteration over time into their final product and the significant amount of research they had done into the market was a key factor in the judges’ decision,” said chief judge Toby Heagarty.
Niftylift’s apprentice development manager, Karl Digby, added: “The team should be really proud of themselves for the work they put in. They’ve been excellent ambassadors for the company and for the apprenticeship scheme.”
> The win follows success at the same competition last year, when another Niftylift apprentice team, Elevate Elite, took first place. Two members of this year’s team, Paigan Huish and Ben Gillow, were also part of that group, earning them the distinction of back-to-back wins.
