Bilfinger UK is celebrating after being recognised for its contribution to industry at the 13th annual Engineering Construction Industry (ECI) Training and Development Awards in London.
The Warrington-headquartered company received the Large Employer of the Year award at a prestigious ceremony at Glaziers Hall to honour the very best of engineering construction talent.
The event, organised by the Engineering Construction Industry Training Board (ECITB) and hosted by Dr Maggie Aderin-Pocock, brought together industry leaders, as well as the rising stars of tomorrow, for a celebration of excellence in training and development in the ECI.
The ECI spans sectors that focus on the construction, maintenance and decommissioning of heavy industry, such as many of those Bilfinger operates in like oil and gas, nuclear, power generation, pharmaceuticals and chemicals.
As one of the UK’s largest providers of engineering and maintenance services and employing more than 4,000 skilled professionals nationwide, Bilfinger was recognised by the judges for its commitment to investing in its people to “keep up with the fast-paced changes of the industry”.
The company, which has operations spanning the UK, including Aberdeen, was praised for the value it places on the “critical importance of a safe, skilled and experienced workforce” and its efforts to build a sustainable pipeline of talent to meet the evolving demands of the energy sector.
In particular, judges highlighted Bilfinger’s commitment to hire 400 new entrants by 2028; its upskill programmes for semi-skilled workers; and its leadership role on the Connected Competence scheme.
Bilfinger was handed the trophy by award category sponsor, Sellafield Ltd.
Stephanie Broadley, Training and Competency Manager at Bilfinger UK, said: “I am thrilled that we have won as we didn’t expect it.
“It’s wonderful to be recognised by industry like this, but for us it doesn’t matter if we win awards or not as we operate at this level all the time.
“Our aim is to ensure that our people are competent, know what they’re doing and are happy in our workforce.”
A judging panel of industry representatives – made up of Tracey Shelley (BCECA), John Simpson (ECIA), Mark Riley (Phillips 66 Limited), Steve Hunt (Altrad) and Helen Woodward Davies (EDF Energy) – picked the overall winners based on the significant contributions they have made both to the ECI and their own organisations.
ECITB Chief Executive Andrew Hockey said: “As the industry-led skills body for engineering construction, we are committed to developing the skills needed for the delivery of critical infrastructure projects, energy security and net zero ambitions across Great Britain.
“We spoke of this commitment when launching our new strategy, Leading Industry Learning, back in September, which outlined how we will help to address skills shortages and support industry growth amid an increasingly complex and fast-changing external environment.
“We highlighted how achieving the outcomes from our 2026-30 strategy will require collaboration and commitment well beyond the ECITB alone.
“It fills me with great hope, therefore, to see this commitment to skills development showcased throughout industry in the inspiring entries we received this year for the awards.
“Congratulations to Bilfinger UK and to all the winners and finalists, who are great examples of these success stories over the past year and set standards to which we all aspire.”
See the full list of winners from the ECI Training & Development Awards 2025 at www.ecitb.org.uk/eci-training-development-awards-2025/
