Congratulations go to Dr Panos Lazari and the whole ‘PPEMD for All’ team for not one, but two major award wins, recognising their work in making practical engineering training more inclusive and accessible.
The “Practical Power Electronics, Machines & Drives for All” (PPEMD for All) project, led by Dr Lazari, is a collaboration between the School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering at the СŷƵ of Sheffield, and . It is helping to close the UK’s critical skills gap in Power Electronics, Machines and Drives (PEMD) by offering practical training that learners can also access remotely, wherever they are.
At this year’s СŷƵ of Sheffield Knowledge Exchange and Impact Awards, Dr Lazari was recognised with both the Outstanding Partnership or Impact in a Local or Regional Capacity award and the Early Career Researcher Prize, celebrating his leadership and dedication in raising the profile of this important work.
Adding to this success, the project also won the Innovate UK Award for Best СŷƵ-led, Industrially-focused Skills Intervention – a recognition of its impact on practical skills development and the UK’s wider electrification agenda.
Dr Panos Lazari said, “It is a great honour to receive this award. I would like to express my gratitude to my former colleagues at the СŷƵ of Sheffield, as well as to the external partners and subcontractor companies whose contributions were instrumental in making this project such a success. I am delighted that this work is helping to bridge the critical skills gap in PEMD education."
Dr Mahmoud Masoud and Dr Raja Toqeer accepted the awards on Dr Lazari’s behalf and were joined at the event by Professor Conchúr Ó Brádaigh, Vice-President and Head of the Faculty of Engineering.
An Impactful Team Effort
The project is a real team success – bringing together a dedicated group of colleagues who’ve helped turn this idea into a national model for practical engineering training:
- Dr Mahmoud Masoud (Co-PI)
- Dr Panos Panagiotou (Co-PI)
- Dr Raja Toqeer (Co-PI)
- Professor Antonio Griffo (Co-PI)
- Mr Tom Wray (Researcher)
With their hard work, ‘PPEMD for All’ is already making a lasting difference to how and where students can access hands-on learning.
Key Achievements and Impact
- 200+ Level 6 students trained with four hours each of hands-on experience using industry-standard PEMD equipment, dramatically enhancing job readiness.
- 25 industry-standard PEMD kits deployed, supporting real-world learning in universities, FE colleges, and industrial settings.
- Remote-access platform ensures inclusive learning, enabling students in underserved or remote areas to gain practical experience.
- Short courses delivered via the ERS Hub provide scalable and flexible upskilling pathways.
- Teaching resources aligned with Level 3–7 qualifications, integrated into Pearson-accredited programmes, reinforcing long-term sustainability.
- A dedicated plenary session at IET PEMD 2024, attended by over 200 delegates from academia and industry, showcased the project’s innovative teaching model.
- Three peer-reviewed publications and 16 nominations for internal teaching and impact awards reflect both academic and sector-wide recognition.
- A new drone propeller test system broadens training applications into aerospace, opening exciting new career pathways.
Designed to Be Inclusive, Ethical and Sustainable
‘PPEMD for All’ isn’t just about skills – it’s about fairness and access too:
- Kits are loanable or low-cost, helping to remove financial barriers
- The platform is built for geographical inclusion, with learners joining from across the UK and internationally
- The project welcomes a diverse range of learners, including apprentices, career-changers and those from non-traditional backgrounds
- Partnerships are open, transparent, and collaborative, helping to ensure the work benefits as many people as possible in alignment with industry needs.
Looking to the Future
‘PPEMD for All’ is helping to prepare the engineers of tomorrow, giving them real experience that they need to drive forward electrification, sustainability, and innovation in the UK..
To learn more or explore collaboration opportunities, please get in touch with the School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering - Dr Panos Panagiotou and Dr Mahmoud Masoud: and Multidisciplinary Engineering Education - Dr Raja Toqeer.