Preparing a 2026 CIBSE ANZ Young Engineers Awards application? Watch the recording of our information panel session to hear from past finalists and winners on their dos & don'ts!
Special guest speaker, Sam Garton, Senior Engineer in Sustainability and Decarbonisation at Arup shares his insights into this year's theme: Circular economy - paying it forward for the future generation.
Past finalists and winners share their tips below:
I would recommend going down as many rabbit holes about the topic as you can on Google before starting the submission. Not only is it pretty fun, but it will also save you from re-editing the submission so many times! I would also prioritise having conversations with people in your team about the topic to see what views people have.
Kimberly Lowe, AECOM. Young Engineer of the Year winner 2025
Have fun with the submission but take the time to learn and engage with the material provided - It will provide perspectives that may otherwise go unnoticed.
Ben Moss, Intrax Consulting Engineers. Student of the Year winner 2025
My tips for aspiring entrants would be to focus on telling a clear story about impact rather than listing achievements. Start early, and take advantage of the value that everyday project experiences can provide when framed thoughtfully.
Finn Veeneklaas, WSP. Graduate of the Year winner 2025
My biggest piece of advice is to be as original as you can with your ideas and think outside the box. Anyone can put the video submission question into Google or AI to get the common answers one would expect to hear. However, if you can present an unexpected point of consideration, that will set your entry apart from the myriads of other entries. There's a reason originality is a marking criteria the judges use after all. Also, when it comes to preparing your content, I would recommend looking at the CIBSE training. If you go to the CIBSE website, you will find their YouTube channel, where you will see recordings of all the previous training or many of them at least. These can help give you ideas. Also, talk to your seniors and mentors.
Jerry Zhang, Beca. Young Engineer of the Year winner 2024
Rather than rely on your current knowledge, try to push yourself to expand your knowledge and learn something new about the building services industry. Think about how to answer the question differently and creatively to have your submission stand out. Ensure you have good lighting and clear audio for your video. Try to not cover too much in your presentation given the time constraints and instead have a few main points that you elaborate on.
Vanessa Luvio, Northrop Consulting Engineers. Graduate of the Year winner 2022
I have been able to share my learning experience and urge other women in construction to put themselves forward and celebrate their own achievements. Being a finalist also provided some professional recognition from consultants that we work with in the UK.
Definitely put effort into the video submission! All the winners had well-put together videos, which were easy to follow. I took about 2.5 hours in total to write my submission and record it on my mobile phone. I did not do any editing to my video submission. Start your entry early and not the night of, which I did – but this was due to hesitance to put myself forward due to self-confidence issues, as females tend to do.
Siti Mustaffa, DeltaQ. Young Engineer of the Year finalist 2022
I encourage all entrants to think outside of the box, however, stick to your strengths. Have fun and enjoy yourself as you prepare for this exciting challenge ahead of you. Finally, don't stress - at the end of the day, this is all exciting practice for you in the long run and this experience has a vast range of benefits in your career.
Jackson Sarcia, JHA Consulting Engineers. Graduate of the Year finalist 2022
The topic you choose should be something you are genuinely passionate about. Be innovative with your idea and make sure you take this chance to learn something new.
Vivien Kha, UNSW/Northrop. Student of the Year winner 2021
The judges will be reviewing a lot of entries so try to think outside the box and find a unique perspective in answering the question to stand out.
Arky Elston, formally Aurecon. Young Engineer of the Year winner 2021
Getting started itself is daunting – it was for me too – but that’s genuinely the hardest part. Start with a broad idea in mind, then let your research and interest guide you to the final destination. Back yourself, and once the ideas start flowing, your entry will fall into place with minimal effort.
Prateek Alkesh, Aecom. Young Engineer of the Year winner 2020 and former CIBSE YEN NSW Chair
I'd say don't second guess yourself; if you are passionate about something don't be afraid to stick your head out for it, the worst case scenario is you don't win and you get to practice your presentation, research and video editing skills which will all come in handy in your career regardless. I personally believe there is always a better way to do something and you may have the answers, don't be intimidated to give it a shot. As the only undergraduate student selected as a finalist in the Student of the Year competition I was shocked that I was selected against masters students but if you have quality ideas then age and experience becomes less important. Also adding graphics or some sort of subtle video editing effects give your presentation a more professional feel so I'd definitely recommend that on the technical side of things.
Ethan Harrison, University of Auckland. Student of the Year finalist 2020
My advice for anybody thinking of entering is to just go for it. I would recommend having conversations with your peers to discuss your submission and to get as much feedback as possible. Also, don’t give up and persevere! If you are not selected as a finalist the first year you apply, seek feedback and return the following year with the lessons learnt.
Aaron Hoare, WSP. Graduate of the Year winner 2019
If there’s anything you have thought of and you’re really passionate about, I highly encourage you to have a chat with people around you to get a feel of what challenges there may be and whether your clients would be interested in such a thing or not. If you’re entering the awards you should feel passionate about what you’re working on, getting the rest of the information will be a lot easier.
Carolina Mayol Cotapos, formerly Aurecon. Young Engineer of the Year finalist 2020
Be creative, look at the current trends within the industry for which to base your response off, and try to film in a room where there is minimal echo's or external noise to improve the quality of your entry.
Mitchell Peatman, University of NSW / Northrop Consulting Engineers. Student of the Year winner 2019
It’s important to be genuine and treat your entry as something you’ve been preparing for in the long run. It also helps to stay relevant and innovative, approach it based on current events and provide solution based on issues you’ve identified. Keep it short and simple – brevity is the soul of wit!
Shruti Rajan, ADP Consulting. Graduate of the Year winner 2020
Really research the topic and use the opportunity to learn something new rather than treating it like a task.
Bharat Rasali, Auckland University of Technology / Construction Engineering
Go for it, it will definitely add value to your career. Develop a habit of reading industry news, it helped me gain an insight about what we have and what more we need.
Bipin Tom Thomas, 2PIR Consulting Limited. Student of the Year winner 2020
Start early and take this as an opportunity to talk to professionals in this field.
Jeff Tsang, formally Wood Grieve Engineers
Watch a recording of the 2025 Young Engineers Awards Panel Webinar for extra tips from 2024 finalists
View previous Award winner videos