2026 Royal Signals Apprentice of the Year Awards

On the 18th of June 2026 I had the privilege of visiting Blandford Camp with the purpose of attending the award ceremony for the 2026 Royal Signals Apprentice of the Year Awards. The WCIT has a long history of recognising training and operational excellence within the Royal Signals, supporting various awards. The Medal for the Apprentice of the Year was first awarded 31 years ago to L/Cpl David Mears, who is now 30th Signal Regiment’s Second in Command. The WCIT is proud to be one of several civilian supporters of awards for outstanding achievement by Royal Signals apprentices.

The awards ceremony, arranged by Corps HQ, takes place within the annual Corps Conference, where I had the pleasure of meeting the Master of Signals (Lieutenant General Paul Griffiths) and the Chair of the Royal Signals Institution (Brigadier Richard Byfield) amongst many other serving and retired personnel and civilian supporters. The awards event concluded with an evening cocktail party allowing for networking; the evening concluded at sunset on the parade square enjoying a performance by a band consisting of the Brass, Drums and Pipes.

The winner of our award (Signaller Joshua Jepson seen below receiving the medal and cash award), is an Information Services Engineer who completed the Level 4 Network Engineer Apprenticeship with a Distinction grade, was delighted to have been recognised for his achievements. It is a truly inspiring experience to meet this next generation of exceptional soldiers entering their trade in the Royal Signals. Finally, my thanks to the Armed Forces Committee and especially to Court Assistant Nick Claydon for managing our RS relationship and programme year-round.

Gary Moore, Deputy Master