Re-Gen Waste has won the Next Generation Initiative (SME) award at last night’s Irish News Workplace & Employment Awards.

Joseph Doherty, MD, said: “One of the programme’s aims was to inform P7 pupils, specifically girls, of the opportunities in engineering and potential careers for when they complete GCSEs, A-Levels and BTECs and I’m delighted that engineering has been brought to life for the schoolchildren.”

Growing the next generation of engineers by inspiring a love of scient, technology, engineering, arts and maths in P7 pupils in County Armagh. They worked on infrastructure, energy, transport, biomedical engineering and electronics during each five-week Engineering-in-a-box programme.

Principal Ciara Monaghan says: “It’s teaching in a way that I really haven’t seen before. To actually get someone in that career to come out and be the experts in the classroom is very effective. Every week was interactive. Every workshop was fun and enjoyable. A great success!”

Sinéad McGleenon, STEAM Client & Schools Engagement Executive, said: “From an educational point of view, it is brilliant for primary children to learn about engineering from a young age, while also seeing the importance of engineers and engineering in their locality. Through this exciting project between primary schools, STEAM Education and Re-Gen, we have hopefully inspired the next generation of future engineers.”

In less than two decades, Joseph, Aidan and Colin Doherty have developed one of Europe’s most advanced materials recovery facilities. Combining engineering feats of excellence, innovation, and business acumen, they are dedicated to developing future generations. Engineering skills are now being taken into the classroom.

Working in partnership with others comes naturally to the Doherty brothers and their staff. In addition to being a top five waste processor in the UK, an international exporter and employer of 300 people in South Armagh and South Down, Re-Gen has been recognised as a ‘STEAM company’ and is now a worthy award winner.