Eurovia UK investing in creating opportunities for young people in highways
As recent government announcements have highlighted, the need for transformational investment in training and skills, has never been greater.
Eurovia UK has increased the capacity of its apprenticeship, graduate and student placement programme, welcoming 90 new starters into the company this summer.
70 apprentices, placement students, graduates, and degree apprentices and 20 short-term placement students have joined the business through its partnerships with universities across the country, including Southampton, Loughborough, Nottingham, Sheffield, Surrey, Nottingham Trent and Exeter.
The programme has grown from a core of highways and civil engineering to include mechanical, systems and control engineering roles, as well as commercial, financial, and business functions. The university partnerships have enabled the programme to expand and develop to recruit graduates with the diversity of skills needed as the sector evolves.
Each student receives a personalised induction programme, with driver assessments and high-risk driver training. Graduates and apprentices are provided with permanent roles from day one, giving them invaluable security and stability as they start their careers.
In addition to the established programme, this autumn sees a new Surfacing Apprenticeship, developed to meet the skills gap in a sector with an increasingly aging population.
The company has been investing in the future of young people in the highways sector for more than a decade. In addition, it has been focusing on the skills and career progression of existing employees, encouraging them to undertake a variety of apprenticeships. These complement existing opportunities in subjects such as commercial procurement, construction management, civil engineering, plant maintenance, electrical installation, vehicle maintenance, digital marketing and chartered surveying.
Kristine Pollock, Group People Director commented: “We give young people a fantastic opportunity to work across a wide range of highways services, from programme management, design, product development, business management, digital construction, and scheme management. Now more than ever, our graduate and apprenticeship programmes are an investment in their future, but also the future of our business.”
As David Binding, Business Director and Graduate Programme Lead puts it: “We are delighted to be in a position to continue to welcome young people into our business. Investing in young people, supported by the experienced teams and individuals we already have in our business, puts us in a great position to be part of the new way of working, thinking differently and creatively to tackle the challenges ahead.”
