People interested in pursuing a career in construction are now able to register to attend Open Doors 2025, which returns 17-22 March.
The event is being delivered by Build UK in partnership with the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) and CSCS, supported by media, community and industry partners, who are encouraging people to book a place and attend.
Open Doors offers a unique opportunity for young people and those looking for a change of career to go behind the scenes of live construction sites, manufacturing facilities, offices, and training centres across the UK. Those who attend Open Doors will be able to learn about a career in construction through site tours and Q&A sessions with construction professionals and in some cases interactive experiences.
Construction is a lucrative career. The average UK construction worker's salary is over £44,000, nearly £9,000 higher than the average UK salary. There are more than 180 different occupations in construction and over 100 different construction apprenticeship roles that lead to careers in the industry for people at every stage of their life.
Tim Balcon, Chief Executive, CITB said: “Open Doors is a platform for the construction industry to come together and demonstrate the benefits of a career in construction – the valuable skills to be learnt, the sense of accomplishment seeing a project completed, and the well-paid roles available. There truly is nothing else like it to learn first-hand if construction is for you – and more importantly, which aspect of construction is for you.
“From roles on site to the office, the construction industry is diverse with plenty of opportunities to upskill and develop throughout the years. No role is the same as the other.
“I am looking forward to visiting an Open Doors event in March and witnessing the impact of this unique event in-person, from potential apprentices to those looking for a change in career, there is something to suit everyone.”
Julie White, Chair, Build UK said: “Never has this type of initiative been more important to help meet the Government’s commitment to ‘Get Britain Building’.
“While the tours themselves provide intriguing backdrops to explore the range of roles available, they are also a unique opportunity to talk to construction leaders and apprentices about their route into the industry.
“Nearly 90% of the 5,000 visitors that attended an Open Doors event last year said they were more likely to consider a career in construction following their visit, so I’d urge everyone to book onto an event now and find out just what construction has to offer!”
CITB’s Construction Skills Network report revealed that the construction industry needs to recruit 50,000 new workers a year until 2028, demonstrating the scale of opportunity for new entrants.
From April to December last year, CITB’s New Entrant Support Team (NEST) has already helped over 2,676 people start an apprenticeship. In total, CITB supported more than 24,000 apprentices during their courses in 2024.
CITB will be welcoming attendees to its National Construction College (NCC) sites at Bircham Newton and Inchinnan as part of the Open Doors programme.
People interested in attending an Open Doors event in March can find information or book here.
