This autumn, the public is being offered an exclusive opportunity to have a look behind the scenes at some of Britain’s most exciting construction sites.
Ninety one construction sites across England, Scotland and Wales will be opening their doors on the 9th and 10th of November for guided tours as part of a pilot project – ‘Open Doors’ – from the construction industry.
Open Doors aims to present construction in an engaging and interesting way and showcase the dynamic, exciting career opportunities that it offers. The project will also demonstrate the importance of construction to both the national and regional economies.
The scheme is being trialled across the country and is the result of a partnership of four leading industry bodies, UK Contractors Group (UKCG), CITB-ConstructionSkills, The Considerate Constructors Scheme and the Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB).
Twenty three major construction employers are taking part in this year’s pilot and sites taking part in the programme include the Olympics Aquatic Centre by Balfour Beatty, Tate Modern extension by Mace, Skanska’s Brent Civic Centre in North London, Leeds Arena by BAM and Carillion’s Southmead Hospital in Bristol.
Speaking on behalf of the Open Doors Partnership, Stephen Ratcliffe, Director, UK Contractors Group said: “Construction is undergoing rapid change and needs to develop a skilled workforce to meet the challenges it faces. Nowadays construction is more about careers than jobs and the expected increase in demand for specialist and management roles in the next few years means that we need quality talent entering the industry now to fill these future positions.
“‘Open Doors’ is a unique opportunity for the industry collectively to display the complexity and scope of modern construction projects and give people a taste of what it’s really like to work in the industry today. It’s an exciting initiative which we hope will encourage more people to consider construction as a prospective career with good opportunities.
“The scheme will also allow the industry to engage with local communities and strengthen relationships at a local level. What the public will see is a skilled, sophisticated and progressive industry – the Open Doors weekend will is certain to challenge perceptions.”
For more details or to register for a tour please visit http://www.opendoorsweekend.co.uk
