Construction Futures crowned winner of Excellence in Outreach award!

Last week, Construction Futures was delighted to take home the Excellence in Outreach Award at the Inspiring Women in Construction & Engineering Awards 2026 in London. 

This award recognises the team's significant impact in a remarkably short time, transforming the accessibility of construction careers for women, and driving strategic change across the industry in Northern Ireland.

The judges recognised that Construction Futures’ "infectious enthusiasm is already driving strategic change across the industry in Northern Ireland, bringing government and charities on board and engaging 47 delivery partners to increase outreach capacity for an entire sector." 

For a small but growing team, this award means a lot, and is one that is owed to our team members, the Construction Employers Federation (CEF) and the many employers and partners across Northern Ireland who continue to get behind Construction Futures and our mission to inspire, empower and connect young people with pathways that create long-term positive change.

Fionnuala McKenna, Head of Strategic Development at Construction Futures said: 

“We are absolutely thrilled to receive this award, particularly because it recognises on a national stage what a small team has achieved in such a short time, and the huge collective effort that sits behind Construction Futures.

“For us, outreach is about much more than simply talking about careers. It is about creating meaningful opportunities for people to experience the industry, meet the people working in it and understand the huge range of roles available. It is also about working with employers and education partners to make sure those conversations lead to genuine pathways into the sector.

“The skills challenge facing construction is significant and no single organisation can solve it alone We need to reach people earlier, broaden our reach and work together as an entire industry. This recognition reflects the collective effort of our team, CEF, our employers and delivery partners across Northern Ireland, and we are hugely grateful to everyone who has supported Construction Futures and given their time, expertise and enthusiasm.

“We have achieved a lot in a short time, but there is much more to do, and hopefully this award helps us build even greater support across industry and education for what comes next.

We’d like to extend our warmest congratulations to all of the nominees, finalists and winners from the awards night, particularly the team from ICE Northern Ireland who picked up the Women’s Network of the Year Award for their initiative, ICE Connects. It was a fantastic celebration of the growing reach and real, material difference that teams across the the UK and beyond are making in opening up opportunities for women and girls across the construction industry.