Semta opens engineering hall of fame

It has launched the Engineering Hall of Fame in a bid to ensure that "great British engineers of the 21st Century are recognised to be just as important and influential as their illustrious predecessors". Ten 19th and 20th Century engineers selected by a panel of luminaries and one contemporary counterpart – to be voted on by the industry – are to be invested into the Semta Hall of Fame at a ceremony in London on February 12 during the Semta Skills Awards. A contemporary great British engineer will be invested in the Semta Hall of Fame each year. Sarah Sillars OBE, CEO of Semta (pictured), said: "Britain's engineers are still the best in the world – and we will be putting them on the world stage to take a bow alongside their illustrious predecessors. "There seems to be a consensus that the best days of British engineering are behind us; we say not so. "Semta is working tirelessly to ensure that great British businesses have enough great British engineers – and we are making significant inroads to filling the skills gap." Nominations to include a contemporary great British engineer on the shortlist can be made by email until 20 December 2013. Voting for the winner, taken from a shortlist of five chosen by Semta, will begin online on January 6 2014. The first 10 members of the Engineering Hall of Fame are: John Rennie (1761-1821) George Stephenson (1781-1848) Isambard Kingdom Brunel (1806-1859) Joseph Bazalgette (1819-1891) Sir Benjamin Baker (1840–1907) Barnes Wallis (1887-1979) Sir John Ambrose Fleming (1848–1945) Dame Caroline Haslett (1895–1957) Verena Holmes (1889–1964) Sir Frank Whittle (1907–1996)