Wood is celebrating after being named Large Employer of the Year at the 12th annual ECI
Training and Development Awards last night in London.
The Aberdeen-headquartered company received the accolade at a prestigious ceremony
to honour the very best of engineering construction talent.
The event, organised by the Engineering Construction Industry Training Board (ECITB),
brought together industry leaders, as well as the rising stars of tomorrow, for a
celebration of excellence in training and development.
Held at One Marylebone, an iconic Grade I listed building in the heart of the capital, the
event was hosted by Chair of the ECITB Innov8 Group Chinwe Odili, a STEM champion and
award-winning structural engineer from Kent plc.
Wood, one of the world’s leading consulting and engineering companies operating across
energy and materials markets, scooped the award for employers of more than 250
people.
Judges recognised the company for demonstrating “exceptional commitment to employee
development, innovative training programmes and a supportive work environment”.
David McCleneghan, UK Head of Engineering, said: “It’s great recognition that we’re going
in the right direction. Over the last couple of years, we’ve been through a lot of
transformations in terms of the organisation and adapting to new markets.
“We’ve put a lot of investment into our next generation of engineers and managers to
help fit into the vision that we have for the company.
“The focus has been on transitioning into new energy and trying to bring new talent in.
It’s different to what we have done before, so we’ve had to restructure how we attract the
right talent into the business and then take their passion and drive it through the rest of
the organisation.
“There are a lot of opportunities coming up. It’s a really interesting time to be in the
business and the industry and I’m excited for the team for being recognised with this
award.”
Recognising success stories in engineering construction
The ceremony recognised standout individuals, companies and training providers as
awards were presented to winners across nine categories at what is now an established
highlight in the engineering construction industry’s (ECI) calendar.
The judging panel for the awards was made up of Mark Fotheringham from Infinity
Engineering, Tracey Shelley from BCECA and John Webster from Applus UK, who picked
the overall winners based on the significant contributions they have made both to the ECI
and their own organisations.
The theme of the awards was change and, in opening the event, ECITB Chief Executive
Andrew Hockey spoke of the new Government’s commitment to skills and how the
industry is changing as it plays its part in realising the country’s net zero goals.
He said: “The ECITB, as the industry’s employer-led training board, stands at the heart of
these changes to support the skills needs of the workforce.
“With our collective desire, endeavour and expertise, exemplified by the exceptional
talent gathered at the awards, we can tackle the challenges ahead and seize the
opportunities to ensure our industry is well-placed for the future.
“The standard of nominees this year was again incredibly high, showcasing the great
things happening in training and development across the industry.
“I would like to thank our judges and congratulate all the winners and finalists who are
great examples of excellence in our industry.”
Lynda Armstrong OBE, Chair of the ECITB Board, added: “I would like to congratulate
everyone honoured and thank our generous sponsors who made the evening possible.
“The event is an opportunity to celebrate the best of the best within our industry. The
individuals and organisations nominated exemplify the talent, innovation and endeavour
that our industry needs.
“They remind us to continuously strive to raise the bar for excellence in training and
development. And in this ever-evolving world, the importance of their contributions is
clearer than ever.”
As well as each category being sponsored, the drinks and entertainment were sponsored
by Bechtel and Kingsfield Academy respectively, while the dinner was sponsored by
Hinkley Point C.
Philippa Burt, HR Director at Hinkley Point C, said: “Hinkley Point C is a catalyst for long-
term growth in the engineering construction industry and will leave a legacy of a more
skilled and productive workforce that gives the region, and the wider UK, a competitive
edge as it delivers the UK’s ambitions for energy security and net zero.
“The huge team involved in building the power station understand the critical importance
of training and development and we are delighted to play a small part in shining a
spotlight on the outstanding work taking place in the sector by attendees at the awards.”
ECI Training & Development Awards 2024: Winners and finalists
Apprentice of the Year Award – sponsored by the National College for Nuclear
Winner: Lewis White (The Herne Group)
Finalists: Lucy Jarvis (Sellafield Ltd), Harvey Bennett (CATCH / TEI)
Graduate of the Year Award – sponsored by BCECA
Winner: Toby Highstead (Amentum, formerly Jacobs CMS)
Finalists: Harry Venn (WSP), Jasmine Sagoo (AtkinsRéalis)
The ECITB New Entrant Award – sponsored by Wright Brothers Industrial
Services Limited
Winner: Monika Czyz-Grzesik (Cavendish Nuclear, part of the MEH Alliance working at
HPC)
Finalists: Paul Alp (Southampton Engineering Training Association (SETA) / Altrad), Luke
Roberts (Pembrokeshire College / Haven Engineering)
Large Employer of the Year – sponsored by Nuvia
Winner: Wood
Finalists: Applus+ UK Ltd, EDF
Small/Medium Employer of the Year – sponsored by EqualEngineers
Winner: Wright Brothers Industrial Services Limited
Finalists: A&L Mechanical Installations Ltd, Intelect
ED&I Initiative of the Year – sponsored by NDA
Winner: Fluor Limited
Finalists: Dyer & Butler ENABLE Network, Grief Awareness Community – Cadent Gas Ltd
Training Organisation of the Year – sponsored by GSS Training Limited
Winner: CATCH – Welding and Pipefitting Hub
Finalists: Enermech Ltd, Hydratight Ltd
Leading Industry Safety Award – sponsored by Sellafield Ltd
Winner: Fluor Limited
Finalists: Hinkley Point C (Part of EDF Energy), Wright Brothers Industrial Services
International Training Organisation of the Year
Winner: Hydratight (Middle East and Caspian)
Finalists and regional winners: International Apprenticeship & Competency Academy Ltd
(IACA) (East Africa and Rest of World), PT Petrotekno (Asia Pacific)
Find out more about the ECI Training and Development Awards 2024 here
