Celebrating a Double Win for ‘PPEMD for All’: A Proud Moment for Inclusive Engineering Education

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Here, Emma Kenny-Levick and Dr Raja Toqeer share the latest developments from a major engineering education project.

I’m absolutely delighted to share some exciting news about a project that’s very close to my heart. The “Practical Power Electronics, Machines & Drives for All” (PPEMD for All) project – led by my colleague Dr Panos Lazari – has recently won two significant awards, recognising the huge impact it’s making on engineering education.

At the University of Sheffield Knowledge Exchange and Impact Awards, PPEMD for All was recognised with both the Outstanding Partnership or Impact in a Local or Regional Capacity Award and the Early Career Researcher Prize for Panos. On top of that, we’ve also received the Innovate UK Award for Best University-led, Industrially-focused Skills Intervention – an incredible endorsement of what we’ve achieved as a team. 


It’s been a privilege to work alongside such a committed and forward-thinking group of people, including Dr Mahmoud Masoud, Dr Panos Panagiotou, Professor Antonio Griffo and Mr Tom Wray. Together, we’ve built something that’s helping to change how and where students can access practical engineering training.

Making Hands-On Learning More Accessible

At its core, PPEMD for All is about creating real opportunities. Power Electronics, Machines and Drives (PEMD) are critical to the UK’s electrification and sustainability goals but access to hands-on training in this area has been uneven. We’ve been working to change that.

Here are just a few of the highlights we’re proud of:

  • 200+ students trained with industry-standard PEMD equipment, gaining four hours each of practical experience.

  • 25 kit deployments to universities, FE colleges and industry partners – extending the reach of our training model.

  • A remote-access platform that allows learners across the UK (and beyond) to take part – no matter where they’re based.

  • Short courses via the ERS Hub, creating flexible, scalable pathways for upskilling.

  • Curriculum materials aligned with Level 3–7 qualifications, now embedded in Pearson-accredited programmes.

  • A dedicated session at IET PEMD 2024, where we shared our work with over 200 academic and industry colleagues.

  • Three peer-reviewed publications and 16 award nominations reflecting the recognition this work is receiving.

  • Development of a drone propeller test system, which opens up practical training opportunities in aerospace engineering too.

Designed to Be Inclusive, Ethical and Sustainable

What makes this project really special for me is that it’s not just about closing a skills gap – it’s about doing so fairly and inclusively. The kits are deliberately low-cost or loanable. The platform supports learners in underserved and remote areas. And the project actively welcomes apprentices, career-changers, and those from non-traditional backgrounds.

We’ve kept collaboration and transparency at the heart of everything we do – working with brilliant partners like Matrix TSL and Magnokinetics Ltd to make sure our approach aligns with industry needs.

Looking to the Future

There’s still more to do – but I truly believe PPEMD for All is helping to shape the future of engineering education in the UK. By opening up access to practical, job-ready skills, we’re not just supporting learners – we’re strengthening the sector as a whole.

If you’d like to learn more or explore ways to collaborate with us, please don’t hesitate to get in touch. Myself (r.toqeer@sheffield.ac.uk), Dr Panos Panagiotou (p.panagiotou@sheffield.ac.uk) and Dr Mahmoud Masoud (m.masoud@sheffield.ac.uk) in the School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering would be happy to hear from you.

Here’s to continued progress – and to engineering education that works for everyone.