The Northern Ireland construction industry opened its doors for a week of workplace tours and interactive sessions, designed to inspire the next generation and encourage more young people to consider a career in the sector. 

Dr Caoimhe Archibald MLA, Minister for the Economy, visited the Dundonald International Ice Bowl regeneration site on Monday 12th January to mark the launch of Open Doors 2026, the UK-wide initiative designed to inspire the next generation into construction careers.

STEMstruct 2025 inspired almost 500 pupils across 20 Northern Ireland primary schools to imagine and build a sustainable ‘Town of Tomorrow’. Through teamwork, problem-solving and hands-on STEM challenges, young people explored how communities of tomorrow could look. Discover the full story, event highlights and this year’s award-winning teams.

Construction Futures proudly supported the 2025 Social Enterprise NI Awards, sponsoring the Young Person of the Year category and celebrating outstanding social impact across Northern Ireland. Read our highlights from an inspiring night of community leadership and industry recognition.

Last week, Construction Futures partnered with MEGA, MRLP, and The Big Bridge at the Explore Engineering Expo in Cookstown. Over 1,500 young people attended, getting hands-on with activities and discovering what the construction, manufacturing, and engineering sectors have to offer.

The future under construction.

Over the past number of weeks, Construction Futures has proudly partnered with Sentinus to deliver the pilot of our new flagship education programme — STEMstruct — aimed at introducing young minds to the world of construction, sustainability, and design, with 193 students taking part.

The Spring NISCA Conference, held at the La Mon Hotel, once again proved to be an invaluable opportunity to connect with careers teachers from across Northern Ireland and showcase the vital support available to help young people explore careers in construction.