IMechE member wins prestigious engineering award

In September 2019 IMechE member Tim Ward won the prestigious Baroness Platt of Writtle Award for his outstanding work on submarine engineering. The Bristol-based engineer was presented with a medal, certificate and prize money of £1,000 in recognition of his work.

“It was obviously a huge honour to be nominated” says Tim Ward, who found out he had won the prize while on holiday in Japan. Tim was asked if he would like to be put forward for the award by the IMechE after he became incorporated earlier this year. Candidates were proposed by several engineering institutions, and Tim and five other engineers were subsequently asked to present their work to the Board of the Engineering Council in May. Tim found out he’d won a few weeks later.

The Baroness Platt of Writtle Award is presented by the Worshipful Company of Engineers in the City of London and is presented to the most outstanding Incorporated Engineer annually. Nominees were asked to show how they meet the five core elements of Engineering Council registration and deliver a presentation on their work.

“To be honest I really enjoyed talking to engineers about engineering for 45 minutes” explains Tim of the presentation itself. “The board want to see you are passionate about the work you do – don't shy away from showing how much you enjoy it”.

That’s certainly not a challenge for Tim whose heart became set on a career in engineering during a GCSE science module on nuclear power. Tim completed his Master’s in Mechanical Engineering at Southampton University where he also joined the IMechE. On graduation, he attended Navy College then began working on the UK’s fleet of nuclear submarines. “The responsibility you are given in the Navy is huge” he notes, “by the age of 25 I was head of an eight-man team overseeing a nuclear reactor”. 

Tim now works at the Submarine Delivery Agency in Bristol where he plans and delivers maintenance packages for Astute Class submarines. However, after eight rewarding years with the Navy he is now preparing for the next chapter in his career - although he expects to continue working in engineering and defence.

Speaking of the opportunities that engineering affords, Tim emphasises that it’s a career where “you can really impact the world around you. And that's something that all engineers can be proud of”. 

Further information on the Worshipful Company of Engineers can be found online.