Wales STEM Awards 2026: Winner

Wynne Construction has won a national award for bringing STEM subjects to life and showing young people how classroom learning can lead to careers in construction.

Wynne Construction was named Educational Programme of the Year (Private Sector) at the Wales STEM Awards 2026, while also being highly commended in the STEM Collaboration of the Year category for its partnership with Careers Wales.

The recognition follows the contractor’s long-running programme of engagement with schools and young people, which uses live construction projects and real workplace experiences to bring science, technology, engineering, and mathematics to life.

The firm delivered more than 150 hours of STEM activity to 2,766 pupils in 22 secondary schools across Wales during the 2025/26 academic year, with activities including STEM workshops, site visits, mock interviews, careers events, and work experience placements.

Its flagship Maths in the Workplace session, devised and developed in collaboration with Careers Wales, uses genuine drawings from live Wynne projects near participating schools.

Pupils take on the role of quantity surveyors to measure rooms, calculate areas, price materials, and apply percentage discounts, while enhancing their numeracy, problem-solving, teamwork, and critical thinking skills.

The workshops are run by Wynne’s social value team, degree apprentice quantity surveyors, and project managers, giving youngsters access to credible role models at different career stages.

Natasha Pryce, social value lead at Wynne Construction, said: “We are incredibly proud to win this award because engaging with young people and helping them understand the opportunities available within construction is something our teams are passionate about.

“It’s not only about reach, but the quality and authenticity of each encounter. Our aim is to make the connection between classroom learning and STEM skills in construction real.

“Whether it is using one of our live projects to demonstrate maths in the workplace, bringing pupils on site, or introducing them to individuals working in different roles across the industry, we want them to see where those subjects could eventually take them.

“The highly commended recognition for our collaboration with Careers Wales is equally important. We could not create the same impact alone, and that partnership enables us to reach more young people and give them practical experiences which build on what they are already learning in school.”

Wynne Construction has a long-standing relationship with Careers Wales and has previously been recognised through its Valued Partner Awards for supporting young people preparing for the world of work.

Natasha added: “There is also the wider industry challenge of continuing to develop the workforce and skills it will require in the years ahead.

“That starts long before somebody applies for their first job. We need to engage with pupils while they are choosing subjects and thinking about careers, challenge perceptions of construction, and demonstrate the range of opportunities available.

“If we can help a young person see a future in engineering, digital construction, sustainability, design, quantity surveying, site management, or one of the many other careers in the sector, that is a positive outcome.”

Now in their sixth year, the awards celebrate the outstanding achievements of those driving innovation, developing skills, advancing research, widening participation and inspiring the next generation of STEM talent in Wales.

As part of the award submission process, Natasha and Kayleigh Brummel, business engagement adviser at Careers Wales, delivered a 15-minute presentation to the judging panel.

Wynne Construction social value manager Craig Sweet and Careers Wales business engagement adviser Anwen Phillips attended the event at Techniquest, Cardiff, on 1 October.

Anwen Phillips, a business engagement manager at Careers Wales who works closely with Wynne Construction, said: “Congratulations to Wynne Construction on this well-deserved recognition. We’re proud to have worked together to give young people meaningful, practical experiences that bring STEM subjects to life.

“Experiences like these help young people connect classroom learning with the world of work, broaden their understanding of the opportunities available and make more informed decisions about their future.”

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