The Defence Academy, Shrivenham, has hosted the annual Tom Nevard Memorial Competition. The event brought together 70 talented apprentices from across the MOD for five days of intensive challenges designed to test their skills, creativity and problem-solving abilities.

DE&S Deputy CEO, Lieutenant General Simon Hamilton, joined RAF Air Marshall Sir Julian Young and others on the panel to decide the winners, many of whom were DE&S’ own apprentices. The competition featured six challenges testing different skill-sets, including a new Digital Challenge hosted by Clarified Security. This modern cyber security challenge saw four-person teams tackle real-world hacking scenarios, marking an exciting evolution for the competition.

This year’s Tom Nevard winners are:

• Non-Engineering Challenge: Amber Mylrea (DE&S Chartered Management Degree Apprentice).
• Mechanical Challenge: Jack Gregory (DE&S Advanced Engineering Apprentice) and Kai Walker (SDA Waterfront Apprentice).
• Electrical Challenge: William Doughty (SDA Nuclear Degree Apprentice).
• Digital Challenge: Charlie Eldergill (DE&S Digital Degree Apprentice), Ash Jones (DE&S Digital Degree Apprentice) and Dheeraj Karki (DE&S Digital Degree Apprentice).
• CEO Challenge: Maddison Hancock (DE&S Engineering Degree Apprentice).
• Group Challenge: Ffion Moon (DE&S Project Delivery Apprentice), Alexander Amato (DE&S Engineering Degree Apprentice), Cerys Versey (DSTL Embedded Electronic Degree Apprentice), Oliver Pass (SDA Nuclear Degree Apprentice) and Mirren Gilbert (Beith Mechanical Apprentice).

Dheeraj Karki, DE&S Digital Degree Apprentice, said:

“This experience allowed me to connect with others on different schemes, which was refreshing. As for the digital challenge, this was a first for Tom Nevard, but it was an absolute blast.

“This heavily tested our offensive cyber skills. I came in with little-to-no knowledge and experience, but this challenge has taught me a lot and our team ended up winning. Can’t wait for next year!”

Traditional challenges included the CEO Challenge, where first-year apprentices constructed detailed to-scale models of a Vulcan Bomber, the Mechanical Challenge with pairs designing mortars, and the Electronics Challenge where they had to build radio frequency receiver-transmitter systems. Team-based competitions featured building battle robots in the Group Challenge, while the Non-Engineering Challenge constructed Nerf-style guns.

Amber Mylrea, DE&S Chartered Management Degree Apprentice, said:

“The competition was fantastic it gave me the opportunity to develop different skills away from a laptop and gain valuable, hands-on experience.

“I thoroughly enjoyed spending the week with apprentices from various schemes, learning about their day-to-day roles and how we all collaborate across the business. On top of this, it was great fun making a Nerf-style gun and having a week away from the pressures of work.”

The Tom Nevard Memorial Competition began in 1952 as a skills test for MOD engineering apprentices honouring Tom Nevard, assistant secretary of the Labour Branch at the Ministry of Supply. Originally held in Glasgow, the competition moved to the Defence Academy in 2014, where it runs annually and is in its 71st year. The competition has evolved over recent years to include challenges for apprentices across all professions. The event is designed and delivered by apprentices themselves, operating as a collaborative initiative between the MOD and defence industry partners.

The competition continues to honour a legacy of innovation and excellence within MOD’s apprenticeship programmes. Beyond testing technical skills, the competition achieved its core objective of fostering collaboration between apprentices, with participants developing new capabilities while building networks that will strengthen UK Defence for years to come.

Speaking to the apprentices, Lt Gen Simon Hamilton said:

“Spending time with our extraordinary apprentices from across Defence was truly inspiring and a reminder of how bright our future is. This competition offers invaluable opportunities to collaborate, grow and develop new skills. You are all at the start of a remarkable journey – be ambitious, push your limits, seize every training opportunity, and most importantly, enjoy the path you’re on”