Tipton construction firm's open day attracts 400 potential apprentices
The next generation of construction workers were given a taste of their future at a Tipton's firm's open day.
The Doocey Group's apprentice open day on Saturday was fully subscribed with 400 young people wanting a career in construction visiting its headquarters.
The company completes jobs across the country for utility companies and work with Sandwell College to recruit new apprentices.
Potential apprentices were shown Doocey's state-of-the-art equipment and learnt about the various specialisms which they could follow in the industry.
Head of HR at the Doocey Group Kirstie Stuart said: "The open day was great.
"Civil Engineering is an industry with a severe skills shortage in the Midlands with an ageing workforce and an increasing demand, projects such as HS2 and the Midland Metro Alliance works utilising volumes of resource.
"A career in civil engineering in Utility Infrastructure is recession and pandemic proof as everyone needs gas water and electric to their homes, hospitals, schools and offices yet most youngsters and adults have no idea about the industry as a career choice."
She added: ’As an industry due to the skills shortage wages are high meaning that some of the apprentices have made a career change from warehousing to civil engineering."
The company has helped transform Sandwell College's Phoenix Centre in West Bromwich where apprentices learn their trade.
Kirstie added: "This genuinely has been an apprenticeship programme for Sandwell supported by local authority and local education giving back to the local community where Doocey’s has been proud to have been based for the past 41 years."
