Construction Prize Winners Announced

Our 2026 Construction prizegiving ceremony took place on Thursday 1st October in the Alexander Graham Bell Centre. The event was sponsored by 25 employers and industry bodies.

37 apprentices in years 1 – 4  were the worthy recipients of a number of awards across construction trades including Joinery, Bricklaying, Plumbing, Electrical  and Renewables.

The Robertson/Elgin Rotary award for the top craft apprentice went to Oliver MacFarlane, apprentice joiner who is employed by AW Laing Joiners based in Grantown.

The ceremony was opened by David Patterson, Principal and Chief Executive of UHI Moray, with the Welcome address delivered by Rosemary McCormack, Faculty Director.

The guest speaker was Ben Blackledge, CEO, WorldSkills Ltd who praised the event and the achievement of all the apprentices. Ben also recognised the value of the work and support provided by the construction lecturers at UHI Moray and the support from the employers in contributing to the apprentice successes.

David Patterson, Principal and Chief Executive, UHI Moray – ‘What a fantastic evening! It was great to see our local employers, families and friends supporting our apprentices and hearing about some of their fantastic achievements locally, nationally and UK wide’

Rosemary McCormack, Faculty Director , UHI Moray – ‘Last night's Construction Awards were a wonderful celebration of achievement, partnership and success. It was fantastic to see so many students, employers, families and sponsors come together to recognise the hard work and dedication of our learners. As someone attending in my role of Faculty Director for the first time, I was struck by the professionalism of the event and the outstanding calibre of those being recognised. The awards showcased not only individual excellence but also the strength of collaboration between UHI Moray and the construction industry across the region’

List of the full winners include: