The Civil Engineering Contractors Association (CECA North East) is launching a new initiative for the 2026/27 academic year, bringing colleges and industry together to celebrate and inspire the next generation of talent.

The Groundworker Olympics will showcase the skills of students studying construction courses, while highlighting career opportunities in groundworks and helping to address the growing shortage of skilled workers.

The programme launches this month, with the inaugural event taking place in June 2027 at Seymour Skills Academy. Students from Hartlepool College and Derwentside College will compete in a series of practical challenges, including drainage, kerbing and concrete finishing.

Each college will have one winner, who will receive a £500 prize. Students will also have the opportunity to interview with CECA member companies, making valuable industry connections that could lead to placements, work experience or apprenticeships.

Participants will receive certificates and trophies recognising their achievements, which they can add to their CVs as evidence of the skills demonstrated during the competition.

CECA North East supports its members in areas including skills, training, health and safety and industry development. It works with contractors, clients, colleges, training providers and other industry partners to support the continued development of the region’s infrastructure and civil engineering workforce.

The Groundworker Olympics has been developed by CECA North East’s Foundations Group, its junior board comprising individuals working for member companies across the civil engineering industry.

The group aims to establish the competition as an annual event, expanding participation to more colleges and training providers across the region in future years.

Younger school pupils following a construction GCSE pathway will also be invited to attend, giving them the opportunity to see the competition in action and discover how the skills they are learning in the classroom translate into industry practice.

Judges will be drawn from CECA North East member companies, enabling experienced industry professionals to assess students’ skills while engaging directly with the next generation of the workforce.

Stuart Miller, director of CECA North East, said: “Some of the best careers in our industry start with someone being given the opportunity to have a go, discover what they are good at and realise that there is a place for them in civil engineering. That is what we want the Groundworker Olympics to create.

“What makes this initiative particularly exciting is that the idea has come from our Foundations Group. These are people who are already building their own careers in the industry and understand first-hand what it is like to take those first steps. They are helping to create something they would have valued themselves when they were starting out.

“We want students to come away from the event proud of what they have achieved, with a better understanding of where their skills could take them and, importantly, with contacts within the industry. If we can give the next generation a positive experience of civil engineering at an early stage, we have a much better chance of encouraging them to choose it as a career.”

Further details of the competition activities, participating companies and judges will be confirmed as planning progresses.