Niftylift Apprentices Win AAC 2025

Niftylift’s apprentice team, Elevation Nation, have won the 2025 IMechE Apprentice Automation Challenge — our second consecutive win at this prestigious event.

Elevation Nation Crowned AAC 2025 Champions

We are proud to announce that Elevation Nation, Niftylift’s 2025 apprentice team, have been voted the winners of the IMechE Apprentice Automation Challenge (AAC).

The finals of this year’s competition were held at the Manufacturing Technology Centre in Coventry, where a record 17 apprentice teams presented their projects to a panel of industry judges.

???? Photo of the team celebrating their win at the event in Coventry, shortly after the announcement.

About the Challenge

Now in its eleventh year, the AAC is an annual competition that continues to grow in popularity, encouraging apprentices to design and develop innovative automated devices. The event has become a showcase for creativity, professionalism, and engineering skill across the UK.

What Impressed the Judges

Chief Judge Toby Heagarty commented:

“The winning team significantly impressed with their presentation skills. 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.”

Another judge added that their presentation was so good it could easily hold up at the Board level.

Two Years of Success for Niftylift

This win marks the second consecutive year that a Niftylift apprentice team has claimed the top prize. In 2024, our team, Elevate Elite, were crowned champions, and this year, Elevation Nation proudly carried that momentum forward.

Adding to the achievement, Paigan Huish and Ben Gillow were members of both winning teams, making them two-time AAC champions.

Celebrating Our Apprentices

We are incredibly proud of Paigan Huish, George Mott, Haydn Nixon, Ben Gillow, and Ewan Bell for their hard work, innovation, and teamwork throughout the challenge. Their success underlines the outstanding talent of our apprentices and the bright future they represent for Niftylift.

Karl Digby, Niftylift's Learning and Development Manager, commented:

"The team should be really proud of themselves for the work they put in and they have been excellent ambassadors of the company and the apprenticeship scheme."

???? Read the full event report from the Institution of Mechanical Engineers here.

Congratulations again to Elevation Nation! ????