If you are a student graduating after 30 June 2026, we strongly encourage you to apply for the 2026 CIBSE ANZ Student of the Year Award.
Applicants who are selected as finalists are eligible for significant benefits:
- $1000 cash prize for the award winner
- Finalists will receive an invitation, return flight and accommodation to attend the Awards function in Sydney on 22 October 2026
- Wide-reaching industry exposure for finalists and winners via promotion on CIBSE newsletters and social media
- Opportunity to network with industry professionals
Entering this award will also help you stand out to future employers. Those in the industry call it a CV booster!
And don’t worry, your application is not based on academic results. It’s based on your response to a relatable industry question.
Find out more and enter here.
Additional benefits of membership you might like to exploit:
- Ken Dale Travel Bursary, a unique opportunity for early-career engineers to gain international experience and drive innovation in the building services industry. The bursary offers up to £4,000 (or local equivalent) to support your research abroad, allowing you to explore how technical, social, environmental and political factors influence building services engineering globally. Note, applications close on 24 April 2026, so hurry!
- Membership to CIBSE's Young Engineers Network (YEN), which includes emerging professionals around Australia and New Zealand and provides a forum & support network for young engineers.
- Access to a mentoring program that pairs less experienced members with seasoned professionals, offering personalised guidance, career advice, and technical expertise. This fosters professional development, strengthens the CIBSE community, and promotes a culture of knowledge-sharing and career progression. Find out more here.
- Many Building Services companies offer graduate programs across Australia and New Zealand, and exploring career pathways is an important step for engineering students nearing graduation. To help with this, CIBSE shares information about numerous Engineering Consultancies that hire students and graduates for their 2026-2027 Graduate, Undergraduate and Intern programs. Find out more here.
The CIBSE Young Engineers Network (YEN) has some upcoming events that may be of interest:
- NSW - Trivia Night on Wednesday 6 May at Northrop, Sydney. Expect fast-paced trivia, great food, drinks, prizes, and the chance to connect with fellow young engineers and built-environment professionals from across NSW. Tickets here.
- Auckland - Price Holyoake Technical Presentation & Factory Tour on Monday 18 May, designed to give emerging engineers a practical, real-world understanding of the technologies and components that drive modern HVAC systems. Tickets here.
- VIC, in collaboration with Mitsubishi Electric, is hosting a networking and insight evening on Wednesday 20 May aimed at university students and early-career professionals who want a better understanding of the building services industry and the roles within it. Tickets here.
- SA is planning a site visit to the new North Adelaide Aquatic Centre – Watch your inbox for your invitation!
The 2026 Awards are supported by building services organisations that share CIBSE's commitment to rising talent and excellence in the engineering field. AECOM is the proud sponsor of the 2026 Student of the Year Award.
