Built Environment Apprenticeship Awards 2026: An evening of celebration
Posted on: 13 February, 2026
Hundreds of apprentices, employers and academics celebrated with the University of the Built Environment at its fifth annual Built Environment Apprenticeship Awards.
Held during National Apprenticeship Week, the awards on Thursday 12 February spotlighted the achievements of the University’s hardworking apprentices, their supportive employers, and our own dedicated staff.
The sumptuous surrounds of The Orangery at Cavendish Square, London, was filled with buzzing conversations, engaging speeches and plenty of whoops and cheers as winners took to the stage to collect their awards. See who won below!
Photo gallery:
Professor Ashley Wheaton: ‘An exciting development’
Vice Chancellor Professor Ashley Wheaton opened proceedings with a reminder of just how far the University has come since launching its first surveying apprenticeship a decade ago.
“From just 259 apprentices a decade ago in 2016, we now proudly support 3,000 apprentices across a wide range of programmes and pathways in 2026.
“That journey is an incredible success story, and it makes us by far the largest provider of degree apprenticeships in the built environment in the UK, bar none.”
He pointed to the scale of the national challenge ahead and the work the University is carrying out to facilitate careers in the built environment.
“That’s why we’re working closely with industry bodies, professional institutes and organisations such as Skills England to shape new, more flexible pathways into the profession.”
Key facts: Apprenticeships at the University
- 259 apprentices in 2016, now 3,000 apprentices in 2026
- Largest provider of built environment degree apprenticeships in the UK
- Over 50% of all Chartered Surveyor apprenticeships in England delivered by us
- Female representation up from 24% (2015–16) to 38% today
- Over 20% of apprentices from ethnic minority backgrounds
- 95%+ progress into professional or managerial roles, further study or other positive destinations within 15 months
- Nearly 50% of all recent graduates were apprentices
- 57%+ of UK-domiciled graduates came through apprenticeship routes
Ashley then proceeded to reveal an “exciting development”: a common entry route at Level 4, offering a broad foundation into the built environment and opening the door to dozens of job roles across the sector.
This stepped approach, he said, allows learners to build competence, progress at different stages of their careers, and continue into specialisms when the time is right.
He added: “It reflects something we strongly believe in here: that learning shouldn’t always be a single straight line, and that recognising skills, knowledge and progress along the journey is just as important as the final qualification itself.”
Michaela Wain: ‘We are ignoring women’
Replacing the traditional panel discussion this year was a live, on-stage conversation between Ashley and guest speaker Michaela Wain – entrepreneur, construction magazine owner and former finalist on The Apprentice.
Her down-to-earth and honest chat about her own life and career inspired plenty of laughter and clapping.
When Ashley asked her how she started out, she said: “Surprisingly, I didn’t wake up as a child and think ‘you know what? I really want a construction magazine’.
“It wasn’t the dream, it wasn’t the goal. I was actually at University studying religion and special needs, which is transferable because anybody who knows about trying to get a site complete, on budget and on time – you say a lot of prayers!”
After starting out in sales for a construction magazine, she said she hit a glass ceiling and so started her own company.
“The rest, they say, is history!”
Ashley then asked Michaela about her vision of how she’s like the built environment industry to look.
She said: “Every single opportunity I’ve been given, 98% of those have come from white men. I’ve got two sons, four brothers, a dad, a step-dad – they’re all in construction, so I have no issue with men in the industry.
“But we are not feeling the impact of what is to come. We keep talking about the skills gap shortage but we are ignoring 51% of the population – we are ignoring women. And if you see across the globe, across all industries, diverse teams produce better outcomes, better bottom-line profits.
“So my ideal would be, as Beyonce said, ‘Who run the world? Girls!'”.
- Read more in our interview with Michaela: ‘Michaela Wain: ‘I couldn’t earn this money being a hairdresser’
The winners!
Following the conversation, attention turned to the awards themselves – recognising excellence across apprentices, employers and University staff. The University received 160 nominations across the board, which were whittled down to 23 shortlisters. Out of those, the winners are:
- Employer Representative – Large Company – Serena Phillips (prize collected by Daonte Francois)
- Employer Representative – SME – Jason Antill
- Employer Representative – Public Sector – Jaromir Kvetoun (was unable to attend)
- Apprentice of the Year – Undergraduate – Aom Butreewong
- Apprentice of the Year – Postgraduate – Callum Haire
- Rising Star – Rhoda Mante Aggrey
- Vice Chancellor’s Choice – Callum Haire
- Staff Member of the Year – Thomasin Bradshaw
Rhoda said: “I’m very excited and very grateful. I feel as though we’re all rising stars in this building.”
Aom said: “I’m so grateful to be here today as a winner. I could have done it without all the support from the university and my employer. I’d like to thank everyone here today.”
Callum said: “I was expecting to go home without any awards so I am over the moon right now and I literally can’t think of who to tell first! This is so amazing and I’m so happy that I won these awards.”
Jason said: “I’m ecstatic! I actually can’t believe it at all. I wasn’t expecting it at all, or to win to be honest. I’m very happy!”
Thomasin said: “I honestly can’t believe that I’ve won, I’m so grateful to be nominated in the first place and then to win is just completely unexpected. My apprentices put me forward for it and so it’s nice to know I make a difference to them.”
Well done to all the shortlisters and winners, and thank you very much to all who came and celebrated with us.
