£400,000 crane stars at Construction Careers Day

A £400,000 crane, fresh from the factory, was the star of the show at Cambridge Regional College’s Construction Careers Day.

The heavy machinery was part of an exhibition staged by Liebherr, one of the world’s largest manufacturers of construction machinery and a key supporter of the jobs and apprenticeships day.

The event, backed by other major employers including Flannery Plant Hire, Lynch and A Plant, was designed to encourage more people into careers in the booming construction sector.

Visitors to the event were given a chance to climb into the cab of the mammoth vehicle and test their skills, as well as talk to companies about jobs and apprenticeships on offer.

 With a big shortage of trained plant operators, the businesses are partnering CRC in new apprenticeships in plant operation and plant maintenance to train the workforce of the future.

CRC assistant principal for employer engagement Paul Skitt, who has been working with the employers to set up apprenticeship programmes, said the day had attracted people from across the region.

“We were very pleased that the large majority of people who came along were obviously very keen to retrain or train for careers in the construction industry. With jobs and apprenticeships available on the day, they all thought it was a very worthwhile event,” he said.

“Apprenticeships are a key way of filling the current skills gap in heavy plant operation and maintenance in our region and we were delighted to work with such prestigious employers to help spread the message.”

To find out more about apprenticeships at CRC, ring 01223 418778.

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