Philtronics Wins Skills Development Award at IoD Wales Director of the Year Awards 2026

We are delighted to share that our CEO, Simon Pritchard, was named Skills Development Director of the Year at the Institute of Directors Wales Director of the Year Awards 2026, held on Friday 8^th May at the ICC Wales in Newport.

This latest award is yet another powerful validation of our long-standing investment in people and our strategic commitment to upskilling our workforce while continuously enhancing our service offering.

At Philtronics, skills development has been central to our strategy for sustainable and inclusive growth. Founded in 2003, we now employ 85 people with a 50/50 gender balance. Facing challenges such as an ageing workforce, skills shortages in electronics manufacturing, and low local STEM engagement, we recognised the need for a more proactive approach.

In early 2024, we launched the Philtronics Academy — our in-house training hub — supported by strong external partnerships. This has transformed how we attract, develop, and retain talent. Key initiatives include:

• Ongoing IPC training delivered by our certified in-house trainer, ensuring the highest standards in electronics assembly and quality.
• ILM leadership qualifications for supervisors and managers.
• Sustainability training aligned with ISO 14001 and net-zero ambitions.
• HR programmes covering employment law, wellbeing, and inclusion.
• Lean Six Sigma Yellow and Green Belt certifications for key staff to drive process excellence.
• CAD Design training.
• Specialist programmes such as UL508A accreditation and the implementation of ISO 13485 for medical device manufacturing.

Our apprenticeship programme remains a cornerstone. We currently support five college apprentices (one progressing to HNC) and two degree apprentices through the University of South Wales (Network75). All receive extensive mentoring, combining classroom learning with real factory experience. This investment is paying dividends as two of our apprentices have won “Apprentice of the Year” awards in 2023 and 2024.

Building on recent success

This IoD recognition follows strong performances in the Make UK awards. Last November, Philtronics won the Regional Developing Future Talent Award, before finishing as runner-up at the National Awards ceremony in January. These accolades, alongside the IoD win, demonstrate the growing impact of our approach across Welsh and UK manufacturing.

The results speak for themselves. Staff retention has reached 90%, significantly reducing recruitment costs. Lean Six Sigma, digital tools, and new accreditations have improved efficiency, reduced defects, and expanded our capabilities. Equally important has been our community impact: partnerships with Action for Children, Ospreys in the Community, and the Great Days Golf Inclusion Academy, plus engagement with over 150 local students through STEM outreach, school visits, and work placements.

As Simon reflected after the evening:

“We’ve put skills development at the heart of Philtronics… we’re focused on creating an environment where our people can grow, where retention and capability rise, and where we’re actively strengthening the future of our industry and our communities.”

Professor Simon Gibson’s closing remarks reinforced this philosophy. He reminded everyone that “if you want to go fast, go alone; if you want to go far, go together,” and emphasised that successful businesses must keep evolving, build collaboratively, and create space for others to succeed. These principles sit at the core of how we operate at Philtronics.

This award belongs to the entire team. It reflects their dedication, growth mindset, and willingness to embrace development opportunities every day. It also underscores the wider contribution we are making to Welsh manufacturing by investing in talent and sharing best practice.

We extend our warmest congratulations to all the other winners, highly commended recipients, and every finalist. The standard this year was outstanding, and it was inspiring to celebrate so many exceptional leaders across Wales.

Thank you to the IoD Wales team and judges for championing purposeful leadership. We remain fully focused on the journey ahead — developing our people, strengthening our capabilities, and delivering even greater value to our customers and partners.

Here’s to continued growth, together.