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Balfour Beatty and Scape Group showcase construction industry to young people

22 November 2018

Balfour Beatty, the international infrastructure group, is helping to promote the construction industry to every school and college in the UK through a series of Construction LIVE events.

In collaboration with Scape Group, the public sector owned built environment specialist, Balfour Beatty hosted the second virtual, interactive Construction LIVE event with supplier, Learn Live, as part of its ongoing efforts to inspire young people to consider a career in the industry.

The Construction LIVE event was held at Hulme Hall lecture theatre at the University of Manchester along with an invited audience of young people aged 9-18 and was broadcast to c. 25,000 thousand young people across the UK.

The event took take place just a short distance from the Manchester Engineering Campus Development (MECD), currently under construction by Balfour Beatty, which is the single largest construction project undertaken by any higher education institution in the UK. The development will provide a state-of-the-art facility, housing the University’s Engineering schools, innovative teaching spaces and research institutes.

The live event focused on technology and engineering and how it is used within the construction sector in the 21st century.

The live broadcast featured graduates from Balfour Beatty and students from the University of Manchester, whilst also inviting questions from a live and virtual audience throughout the interactive broadcast.

Thomas Edgcumbe, Balfour Beatty Managing Director for its North and Midlands regional business, said: “The Construction LIVE broadcast gave young people a real insight into what it is like to work in the construction sector in 2018 and how technology is changing the industry. Balfour Beatty had some fantastic graduates and apprentices on the panel to give their insights into what qualities a young person needs to bring to the role and the brilliant opportunities they can expect.”

Mark Robinson, Scape Group Chief Executive commented: "Engaging with young people is of critical importance to raising the profile of construction. Through initiatives like Construction LIVE, they can gain a real insight into the industry and the varied, rewarding careers it can offer. Inspiring the next generation will allow us to access a wider pool of talent and secure a diverse, robust workforce for the future.”

The event further supports Balfour Beatty’s commitment to The 5% Club, a UK employer-led initiative focused on creating momentum behind the recruitment of apprentices and graduates into the workforce. 

 Image: Attendees at the Construction LIVE event 

ENDS

 

Media Enquiries to:
Will Swan
Balfour Beatty
+44 (0)207 963 2150
will.swan@balfourbeatty.com
www.balfourbeatty.com | follow us @balfourbeatty 

All non-media related enquiries should be directed to +44 (0)20 7216 6800 or info@balfourbeatty.com

Notes to editors:

  • Balfour Beatty (balfourbeatty.com) is a leading international infrastructure group. With 28,000 employees, we provide innovative and efficient infrastructure that underpins our daily lives, supports communities and enables economic growth. We finance, develop, build and maintain complex infrastructure such as transportation, power and utility systems, social and commercial buildings.
  • Our main geographies are the UK & Ireland, US and Far East. Over the last 100 years we have created iconic buildings and infrastructure all over the world including the London Olympics’ Aquatic Centre, Hong Kong’s first Zero Carbon building, the National Museum of the Marine Corps in the US and the Channel Tunnel Rail Link.
  • Balfour Beatty is a member of ‘The 5% Club’, a UK employer-led initiative focused on creating momentum behind the recruitment of apprentices and graduates into the workforce. Chief Executive Leo Quinn was the founding member of the 5% Club. The Company is committed to ensuring that, within five years of joining, at least 5% of its workforce consists of Apprentices, Graduates and Sponsored Students.

About Scape Group

  • Scape Group is a public-sector organisation, dedicated to creating ongoing efficiency and social value via the built environment. Scape and its subsidiaries offer fully managed frameworks, property services, innovative design solutions, community investment opportunities and joint ventures.

  • By bringing together the strongest teams from the public and private sectors, Scape’s rapidly deployed, highly measurable and collaborative approach delivers value for money and quality buildings whilst stimulating local economic growth and community enrichment. Scape operates with a buying capacity of around £13bn and has helped to deliver over 2,400 public sector projects with more than 1,800 currently in progress. In 2018, Scape Group was named the ‘Best Client to Work With’ across the public and private sector, at the annual Construction Enquirer Awards for the third consecutive year.