Niftylift Apprentices Win AAC 2025

Niftylift’s apprentice team, Elevation Nation, has won the 2025 IMechE Apprentice Automation Challenge, marking Niftylift’s second consecutive victory in this prestigious national competition.

Elevation Nation Crowned AAC 2025 Champions

Niftylift’s apprentice team, Elevation Nation, has recently been announced as the winner of the 2025 IMechE Apprentice Automation Challenge (AAC), marking the company’s second consecutive victory in this highly regarded national competition.

The finals were held 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 for the home or garden.

Photo of the team celebrating their win at the event in Coventry.

About the Winning Project

The team impressed judges with their project, the Automated Stirrer, a clever kitchen aid designed to make cooking easier through hands-free stirring. The product combines practical functionality with creative design, offering users adjustable speed settings and greater convenience for time-sensitive recipes.

Chief Judge Toby Heagarty praised the team’s professionalism and innovation, commenting:

“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.”

Recognising Apprentice Excellence

Karl Digby, Niftylift’s Apprentice Development Manager, congratulated the team, saying:

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

Niftylift’s Chairman and Founder, Roger Bowden, added:

“This achievement is a testament to the enthusiasm, creativity and professionalism of our young engineers. To see two different Niftylift teams win this competition in consecutive years is remarkable and reflects the strength of our apprenticeship programme. Our apprentices continue to make us proud, not only through their technical skill but also their passion for engineering innovation.”

Two Years of Success

This win follows Niftylift’s 2024 success at the same competition, when another Niftylift apprentice team, Elevate Elite, took first place. Two members of Elevation Nation, Paigan Huish and Ben Gillow, were also part of that group, earning them the rare distinction of back-to-back wins.

Niftylift’s 2025 team members are:

• Paigan Huish – Team Leader
• George Mott – Product Design Lead
• Haydn Nixon – Product Design Support
• Ben Gillow – Coding & Electronics Lead
• Ewan Bell – Coding & Electronics Support 

Photo of the Automated Stirrer prototype developed by Elevation Nation.

Encouraging the Next Generation

Now in its eleventh year, the IMechE Apprentice Automation Challenge continues to grow in popularity, providing apprentices across the UK with the opportunity to demonstrate their creativity, problem-solving and teamwork in a real-world engineering environment.

Congratulations once again to Paigan, George, Haydn, Ben and Ewan for this outstanding achievement. Everyone at Niftylift is proud of their success and the continued excellence of our apprenticeship programme.

???? Read the official IMechE article here.