HEADLINE STORY
DEC Awards 2026 shortlist announced
The shortlist for the DEC Awards 2026 has been announced, recognising the teachers, industry individuals and partners who go above and beyond to bring Design Engineer Construct! to life.
This year’s awards celebrate achievement across four categories: DEC Teacher, New DEC Teacher, DEC Champion and DEC Partnership. Each category highlights the dedication, enthusiasm and commitment of those helping to connect education with industry, supporting teachers and giving young people opportunities to explore the built environment.
Congratulations to all our shortlisted nominees, and thank you to everyone who continues to support and champion DEC.
Winners will be announced on 13 November.
In the meantime, you can read more about our shortlisted nominees here
The BEST Training Programme begins!
The New Hospital Programme’s Built Environment Specialist Trainers (BEST) programme is now underway, following its launch at Crewe UTC on 19 October.
Delivered in partnership with Class Of Your Own, BEST supports experienced built environment professionals in developing the skills and Level 4 qualification needed to teach in Further Education.
The programme gives industry professionals the opportunity to bring their experience into education, helping develop the next generation of people who will design and deliver the hospitals of the future.
Following six weeks of training, participants will put their new skills into practice through hands-on workshops with 40 Year 9 pupils from six Cheshire East schools.
A huge thank you to Crewe UTC, Vicki Irving and everyone involved in getting the programme underway. We look forward to sharing more as BEST develops.
DEC Bridge pilot with King Ecbert’s School
COYO’s Simon Owen, Sayyam Rabbani and Kate Watson visited King Ecbert’s School in Sheffield to pilot a DEC Bridge session, supporting students to develop the employability skills needed as they take their next steps towards the built environment.
The session focused on practical skills including professional email writing and CV preparation, helping students build confidence in communicating with industry and presenting themselves to potential employers.
DEC Bridge connects emerging DEC talent with industry, creating opportunities for young people to make those important connections and explore their next steps. The pilot session had an immediate impact, with one student securing an offer of work experience after sending an email during the workshop.
Mott MacDonald connects Laurus Ryecroft students with digital innovation
Ten students from Mott MacDonald’s adopted school, Laurus Ryecroft, visited its Manchester office for the TechConnect North showcase, where they explored digital technologies and met professionals working across the built environment.
The event gave students the opportunity to see digital innovation in practice, ask questions and learn more about the range of careers and opportunities available across the industry. It also helped connect what they are learning in the classroom with the work taking place in professional environments.
Leanne Nicholson from Mott MacDonald said: “Giving young people the chance to experience digital innovation first-hand, ask questions and imagine where it could take them in the future was a real highlight of the event.”
DEC Teacher Ciaran Ellis added that the experience opened up conversations about careers that both students and teachers hadn’t even known existed.
Thank you to Mott MacDonald for opening its doors and giving students this valuable insight into the industry.
Mission Solar underway at Laurus Ryecroft
Year 8 students at Laurus Ryecroft have begun exploring DEC: Mission Solar, a project investigating renewable energy, energy poverty and the ways solar technology can make a difference to people’s lives.
Inspired by the humanitarian work of SolarBuddy, students are exploring how sunlight becomes electricity, learning about battery storage and considering how solar power can support communities.
Their wider challenge is to design an inclusive, solar-powered student support centre, shaped around the needs of the people who will use it. Through the project, students are bringing together STEM learning, sustainable design and an understanding of the social impact of energy access.
We look forward to sharing more as the project develops.
Students take on the EcoClassroom challenge at Cronton Sixth Form College
Students from five local schools came together at Cronton Sixth Form College for its annual EcoClassroom day, taking on a range of built environment roles to design a sustainable community learning centre.
Supported by industry volunteers and former DEC students, the challenge brought professional expertise into the classroom and gave young people the opportunity to experience real-world design. Working together, students explored the different considerations involved in creating a sustainable learning environment.
Congratulations to all the students who took part, and to Liverpool College on taking home the win. Thank you to everyone who supported the day and helped make the challenge possible.
Alison attends ICE Nuclear Round Table in Anglesey
COYO Founder and CEO Alison Watson joined ICE Wales Cymru and Bentley Systems in Anglesey for a discussion on the future of nuclear energy and the workforce needed to deliver major infrastructure projects.
Drawing on Canada’s nuclear refurbishment programme, Alison highlighted the importance of investing in workforce preparation and challenged industry to extend that same commitment to teachers and the next generation of built environment professionals.
The discussion reinforced the importance of looking beyond the infrastructure itself to consider the people, skills and education needed to make major projects possible. Preparing the future workforce starts long before construction begins, with teachers playing an important role in helping young people understand the opportunities ahead.
Arcadis partners with Newman Catholic College to bring green careers to life
Students and teachers at Newman Catholic College in Oldham are bringing technical education to life through a new long-term partnership with Arcadis and Class Of Your Own.
Through the Design Engineer Construct! (DEC) programme, young people will explore how STEM can help decarbonise buildings, looking at areas including better insulation, low-carbon systems, sustainable drainage and responsible material choices.
Working alongside Arcadis professionals, students will put their knowledge into practice on a real building, connecting classroom learning with industry expertise. The partnership will give young people the opportunity to explore the role of the built environment in creating more sustainable places, while discovering the skills and green careers shaping the future.
High Tunstall College of Science joins the DEC family
High Tunstall College of Science is the latest school to join the Design Engineer Construct! programme through a new partnership with STRABAG UK.
The partnership will support teachers and give students the opportunity to work on real-world infrastructure projects, explore STEM learning and discover future career and apprenticeship pathways in the built environment.
Led by Technology, Enterprise & Creativity Faculty Leader Kimberley King, High Tunstall’s teaching team will be supported by STRABAG as they bring DEC into the classroom. The partnership will help connect students’ learning with industry practice and introduce them to the opportunities available across the sector.
We look forward to seeing the partnership develop and sharing more about the work taking place at High Tunstall!
TQUK announces its next chapter as VQA
Our training provider, TQUK, has announced its next chapter, becoming VQA from 2 November.
As the vocational education and training sector continues to evolve, VQA is reaffirming its commitment to making high-quality learning and progression pathways accessible to learners, providers and employers.
With a continued focus on supporting training providers through change, VQA will build on the expertise, experience and relationships established under TQUK, helping ensure learners have access to the skills, qualifications and opportunities they need to progress.
We look forward to continuing our partnership with VQA.
Keep an eye out on our social media for team highlights, case studies and more!Keep an eye out on our social media for team highlights, case studies and more!
TEAM HIGHLIGHTS
NO WORK WITHOUT PLAY
Sayyam
Sayyam’s highlights this October have revolved around getting into schools and continuing to support students and teachers through DEC. This includes recent work at King Ecberts, helping to pilot some of the DEC Bridge work, as well as learning more about the New Hospital Programme through the BEST Teacher Training at Crewe UTC.
On a personal note, October has been a big month for Sayyam as he’s been busy moving into his first home. A very full and exciting month!
Alli
Alli’s highlights of the month included a quick trip over the border for a tour from her Glaswegian Father. She visited some old favourites and some new locations. The Riverside Museum, designed by Zaha Hadid Architects, was a great example of modern design techniques. The Burrell Collection, an extensive collection of art, textiles and artefacts was interesting to explore, but Alli also enjoyed the expression of the building’s structure through timber framing and concrete columns.
Finally, The Hill House challenged Alli’s fear of heights to explore the external walkways over and above the house – constructed as part of the 10-year conservation programme. The house is a domestic architectural masterpiece, designed by Charles Rennie Mackintosh and Margaret Macdonald between 1902 and 1904.
Simon
Simon’s highlight this month was heading down to Sheffield to find out what the DEC students of King Ecberts’s School thought about our developing DEC Bridge initiative.
Simon has been developing advice around employability and recruitment, asking the students for opinions on his work.
Their feedback was both positive and helpful, with one of the students having success after following some advice within an hour of leaving the school – a huge win!
Vicki
Vicki’s highlight is that the BEST programme is now underway! It’s great to see all the hard work that has gone into developing the programme begin to pay off and see the professionals taking part make great progress.
She is also looking forward to a well-earned holiday to Scotland’s beautiful Moray Coast at the end of November.
Angela
Angela’s highlight this month has been working with STRABAG on the HARP project, with All Saints Catholic School in Dukinfield becoming the first school to be adopted as part of the initiative.
On a personal note, October has been a busy month on her pick your own pumpkin patch
Kate
Kate’s highlight of the month has been seeing the young people from Laurus Ryecroft visit Mott MacDonald’s Manchester offices. It was fantastic to see them getting involved, asking questions and making the most of the opportunity. It was also lovely to meet fellow apprentice Amelia Smith.
Another highlight was celebrating Halloween with friends and of course dressing up.
Alison
Alison enjoyed a fun-filled few days at the Cork Jazz Festival this month. A particular highlight was seeing live performances from trumpeter Keyon Harrold and saxophonist Marcus Strickland, who brought their own interpretations to the music of jazz legends John Coltrane and Miles Davis.
Dan
Dan’s highlights this month have included attending the BEST session on Smart Buildings at Crewe UTC. It’s great to see the programme start after years of development.
Another highlight was announcing the shortlist for the 2026 DEC Awards and seeing the fantastic response from those recognised.
Looking ahead, Dan is excited to be heading to GESS Dubai in a couple of weeks!
On a personal note, he’s enjoyed taking Elliot to his first Manchester United game and taking part in a Jiu-Jitsu competition class.
