Scottish sites to open doors to public to encourage more people to consider construction careers

SIXTEEN Scottish construction sites are poised to open their doors to members of the public for behind the scenes tours as part of a new campaign to attract more people into the industry.

Open Doors 2020, which is delivered by Build UK in partnership with CITB (Construction Industry Training Board), will take place at sites throughout the country from March 16-21.

Participating Scottish venues include the £113 million Research Hub at The University of Glasgow, Edinburgh’s North Bridge, and a major expansion of the traditional buildings at Merkinch Primary School in Inverness.

Visitors will gain access to various aspects of the construction work being carried out on these projects, along with tours and presentations. They will also be encouraged to find out more about potential careers in construction at the industry’s careers website – Go Construct.

Barry Dawson, local manager, CITB Scotland said, “CITB is proud to be a partner in this always popular initiative. This year’s Open Doors event allows visitors access to a huge variety of construction sites around the country where they can see for themselves the many careers available in our sector. We encourage people from all ages and backgrounds to sign up and see just what construction has to offer.”

David Hall, programme director, campus expansion at The University of Glasgow added, “We are pleased to host Open Doors 2020 on our campus, as we undertake our ambitious Campus Development Programme, which includes the unique and world-leading Research Hub. All major construction projects rely on recruiting top talent and I would encourage anyone interested in a career in construction to sign up to these events to see how they can take that interest further.”

The event is also supported by the Construction Skills Certification Scheme (CSCS) and Considerate Contractors Scheme (CCS).

Kieran Ronnie, social value & community manager at Multiplex commented, “The construction industry provides lots of opportunities for people of various skill sets so it’s important that we’re able to bring major projects like the University of Glasgow’s Research Hub to life to explain to people what’s involved and to highlight the many career paths available.”