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Open Doors

Open Doors takes your learners behind the scenes to showcase the fantastic range of careers available in construction. Hundreds of events are expected to participate from Monday 17 – Saturday 22 March 2025 across all types of construction sites, as well as training and manufacturing facilities, depots, offices and virtual reality.

The event, which partners with the Careers & Enterprise Company, Careers Wales, the Department for Work & Pensions and Skills Development Scotland, provides an exclusive opportunity to experience construction workplaces and see the range of 180+ different careers in action. Visitors gain an exclusive insight into the sector and leave inspired to consider construction careers going forwards.  Open Doors helps you to satisfy the Gatsby Benchmarks and is an excellent addition to your annual programme of careers activities.

Read our Review of Open Doors 2024 to find out what impact the event could have on your students.

 

Next Steps

Open Doors will return from Monday 17 – Saturday 22 March 2025, with public bookings opening on Monday 13 January 2025.  The events on offer are now beginning to appear on our homepage, as they are added by our hosts – these will continue to be added until March 2025.  If you see a local event and are interested in making a group booking, you can email the event’s contact now to pre-register your interest in attending.  In the meantime, you can find out more about the construction industry and what it has to offer by visiting our Careers page.

Frequently Asked Questions

Visiting

When does Open Doors take place?

Open Doors will take place from Monday 17 – Saturday 22 March 2025.

Public visitor bookings will open on Monday 13 January 2025, but those planning to bring a group of attendees from an educational institution can now email the contact on the event’s profile to request to pre-register their interest in attending.  Some event hosts will be able to manage this for you, prior to public visitor bookings opening, to assist with the additional planning time you require.

What happened at the last Open Doors event?

Open Doors took place from Monday 18 – Saturday 23 March 2024 and you can read more in our Review or see more in our Gallery.

How much does it cost?

All Open Doors visits are provided free of charge. Unfortunately we are unable to assist with additional costs involved e.g. travel, but if protective clothing is required the site will provide this for your group.

What can I do if there are no sites nearby?

If a suitable site does not appear on our map by November 2024, please contact us and we will ask our site hosts if they can open one local to you. If we cannot source a local site for you we may be able to arrange an online event or for a virtual reality experience to be brought to your location instead.

Do we need to wear anything special?

We would recommend sensible shoes and comfortable clothing, and it is always a good idea to bring some waterproof clothing as well just in case! Protective clothing (PPE) will be provided by the construction company hosting the site tour if required – you will know if your visit involves PPE as sizes will be requested at the time of booking (these can be provided later if necessary).

What will happen during my site visit?

You will get the opportunity to see the project, office, or factory, meet the people who work in the industry and hear about their route into the industry.  Many sites will require visitors to wear protective clothing (PPE), which will be provided where sizes have been requested at the time of booking.  Some sites will also offer interactive experiences e.g. virtual reality, simulators or work tasters.  Individual sites will provide information on what will be on offer on their site profiles, but you can contact them directly through their profile if you would like additional details.

If you have any specific requests or interests please email the event host directly and they may be able to tailor the content for you.

How long will the visit last?

This will vary and estimated durations can be found on each event’s profile.

Can we attend more than one event?

Yes absolutely! Just remember you will need to book each event individually and provide all the requested details separately (e.g. shoe sizes, if required), as the locations will likely be hosted by different companies.

Can large groups attend?

Whilst we encourage groups of all sizes, some events may be operating under restrictions that mean they are not able to host larger groups. Please check the individual event profile for further details and remember that the earlier you pre-register you interest or book, the easier it will be to accommodate you!

Can international visitors attend?

We are happy for international visitors to attend.  However, please note that Open Doors’ main aim is to encourage new recruits into the UK construction industry, and so places may be prioritised for resident visitors where demand exceeds supply.  Please note that Open Doors cannot advise on or assist with work visa applications.

Can children attend?

We actively encourage all sites to host children where possible.  Details on whether children can attend, and any applicable age restrictions, will be available on each site profile, as this will differ from site to site. Please note if a site does allow children to visit, all vulnerable individuals including under 18s must be accompanied by a responsible adult. If under 18, they must also have parental or legal guardian consent.

Can we walk around alone?

No, we’re afraid not. You will have to stay with the chaperone you are allocated at all times.

Bookings

How do I book an event?

Public visitor bookings will open on Monday 13 January 2025, but those planning to bring a group of attendees from an educational institution can now email the contact on the event’s profile to request to pre-register their interest in attending.  Some event hosts will be able to manage this for you, prior to public visitor bookings opening, to assist with the additional planning time you require.

From 13 January, you will be able to book an event through that event’s profile by clicking on an available session and entering the details requested.  You will be asked to set up an Open Doors website account, if you don’t already have one.  Please contact us if you experience any difficulties.

Why book a group visit?

Group visits are ideal for schools and colleges who wish to bring multiple attendees to satisfy the Gatsby Benchmarks. A group visit to an Open Doors event will allow you all to see what goes on behind the scenes and learn about the fantastic range of careers available in construction.  Individual event hosts can be contacted to provide a Visit Brief and Risk Assessment to help you make the case to host the visit.

How do I book a group visit?

If you would like to pre-register your interest in attending an event, please email the event contact through that event’s profile now.  They may be able to make arrangements for you in advance of bookings opening formally in January.

Public visitor bookings will open on Monday 13 January 2025.  Once you have found your event through the interactive map, you will be given the option to book on that event’s profile if spaces are available.  You will then be prompted to specify the number of spaces needed, and your age and contact details.  Additional details e.g. student names, PPE sizes etc. can be added at the time of booking or later on if necessary.  If you don’t already have a website account you will be asked to set one up, which will allow you to log back in later and update your booking’s information.

Accessibility

Can I bring SEND learners?

Whilst we aim to be able to host all SEND learners, this will depend on the event in question. Each event will clearly outline its accessibility and you should contact the event hosts directly through their profiles if you need further information or provisions for your group.

Health & Safety

Will the construction sites be safe?

Each site taking part in Open Doors has taken all steps to make sure your site visit will be safe and enjoyable. To ensure your own safety you should follow any guidance given on site. All events can provide a Risk Assessment in advance of your visit if required.

Do all visits require personal protective equipment (PPE)?

No.  The need for personal protective equipment (PPE) is determined by the Risk Assessment and will largely depend on whether you are visiting a live construction site, and where you will be viewing the site from e.g. visits hosted from viewing platforms may not need PPE.  You will know if your visit involves PPE as you will be asked to confirm sizes at the time of booking (these can be provided later if necessary).

Other

Can you provide me with further information to help get the visit approved?

We provide our event hosts with templates for Visit Briefs and Risk Assessments, which you can request directly through their event profile.  The Visit Brief will include the relevant Gatsby Benchmarks that the visit would satisfy.

Open Doors partners with the Careers & Enterprise Company, Careers Wales, the Department for Work & Pensions, and Skills Development Scotland, which demonstrates their support for the event in terms of being a fantastic careers preview opportunity.

What can construction offer my students?

The construction industry can offer people from all different ages and backgrounds an exciting career. There is so much more to construction than just building, from design and engineering through project planning to the archaeological digs that take place. To find out more about the wide variety of construction careers, the qualifications you need and case studies on what it is really like, please visit the careers website Go Construct.

Where can I find more information on careers in construction?

Our Careers page features lots of useful information on construction industry roles and how to get into them.

What if I have further questions?

For general questions relating to Open Doors please email our team via info@opendoors.construction. For information on attending specific events please make direct contact through each event’s profile.