The Building Engineering Services Association (BESA) is putting a particular emphasis on youth education with its awards shortlist
The BESA Industry Awards 2026 comprise 21 categories aimed at individuals, teams and companies alike.
The awards recognise projects, products, innovation, and initiatives that advance the building services engineering sector.
Categories consider different aspects
The categories within shortlist are:
- Apprentice and Individual of the Year Awards
- Project of the Year Awards
- Company and Product Awards
- Contractor of the Year Awards
The awards will consider firms and individuals alike in recognition of having gone above and beyond for the industry as a whole, and recognising the entire supply chain from manufacturers and distributors to contractors, engineers, and clients.
Charlie Ward, BESA senior group events and partnership manager, said: “With all the talk about a ‘lost generation’ of young people struggling to find work in the UK, we felt our best contribution would be to put even more impressive young workers in the spotlight and celebrate their achievements.
“BESA has a long tradition of celebrating the best and brightest talent, but we want to do even more this year by helping to showcase careers and opportunities that might otherwise go under the radar. We are also hugely grateful to the Manly Trust whose support will mean more young people can travel to the Conference and Awards this year.”
The full shortlist for the event can be found here, and the winner will be announced at the BESA Awards dinner in London on 22 October.
Working to improve engineering skills
A new engineering and green technology centre, the Greenwave centre, will open this September at Hull College to help train the next generation of engineers, particularly in green skills.
The centre has been funded through £5m from the government’s Levelling Up Fund, and the bid was supported by 29 industry partners across the Humber.
State-of-the-art technology available for training at the college include:
- Specialist welding equipment linked to carbon capture infrastructure
- Hydrogen fuel cell training technology
- Wind turbine and renewable energy technology simulators
- Air source and ground source heat pump training systems
- Solar PV and solar thermal training equipment
- Smart building and energy efficiency technologies
Debra Gray CBE, principal and CEO of Hull College, said: “The opening of Greenwave will be hugely significant, not only for Hull College and learners, but for employers and the wider Humber region.
“The Humber is leading the UK’s transition to a low-carbon economy and the demand for highly skilled people has never been greater. Our role is to ensure people across the region have access to outstanding facilities, industry-led training and clear pathways into the careers that will shape the future, aligned with national priorities.
“Greenwave is a visible demonstration of our commitment to investing in the very best learning environments and ensuring our curriculum continues to evolve alongside industry. From entry level through to higher education, learners will be able to develop the knowledge and technical skills employers are looking for now – and will be in the future.”
Find out more here.
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