VolkerFitzpatrick welcomes students to five different sites as part of Build UK's Open Doors week giving them an insight into the different careers within construction.
As part of Build UK’s annual Open Doors week in March, VolkerFitzpatrick welcomed almost 200 school, college and university students to several developments across the business covering building, highways, and rail. These included our SEGRO Logistics Park Radlett, Tame Valley Viaduct, Cowley Road Operational Hub, M27,J10 and Sizewell C projects.
Open Doors week enables students to go behind the scenes, giving them a realistic insight into the vast range of careers available within construction.
At our Cowley Road Operational Hub in Cambridge, the students from the University of Cambridge arrived at the site in three sessions, each of which were briefed by the site team, giving them an insight look at the project, as well as a variety of career paths available in the construction industry. The groups then headed out for a site tour via a safety route where they were able to view live construction works taking place.
Ben Walker, VolkerFitzpatrick Project Manager at Cowley Road Operational Hub, commented: “We have thoroughly enjoyed the visits from the University of Cambridge. It is a credit to my team for accommodating the students at the busiest time of the project. Inviting them to see a live site in progress is a great way to find out about career options in the construction industry. The student’s really engaged during the visit, and we are pleased to be a part of the career development of the future generations in choosing a career in construction.”
Our SEGRO Logistics Park Radlett welcomed 21 students from West Herts College where they held two, two hour sessions, consisting of a project overview and site walk. The students viewed the site from a platform where they observed the enormity of the scheme and took in the sights. Maxine Orvis, Stakeholder and social value manager, delivered a Careers in Construction session, where she provided students with information on the fantastic opportunities the industry has to offer.
VolkerFitzpatrick has been supporting Build UK’s Open Doors week for 10 years, since the initiative was introduced. It is a fantastic initiative to teach young people about the construction industry and the opportunities available, providing them first-hand experience of visiting a real site and hearing from professionals currently in the industry. Further info on Build UK can be found here.
We have received some great feedback about our Open Doors sessions and would like to thank our site teams for giving up their time to support the sessions and provide invaluable insight and experience of their individual roles and responsibilities.
