Go behind the site hoardings – Open Doors 2023
It’s almost time for Open Doors 2023 – where construction sites come alive in front of your very eyes.
What is Open Doors?
Open Doors is an industry-wide initiative that allows anyone interested in a career in construction to find out what goes on behind the hoardings at major construction sites across the UK, and to showcase the exciting range of careers available in construction.
Site visits can be booked by individuals, school or college groups. From major transport infrastructure projects like HS2 to commercial tower blocks and heritage sites, a wide variety of construction sites are uncovering their hoardings and giving an insight into what they do.
When is Open Doors 2023?
Open Doors runs from Monday 13th March to Saturday 18th March 2023.
Who organises Open Doors?
Open Doors is hosted by Build UK, the leading representative organisation for the UK construction industry, bringing together clients, contractors and trade associations. 40% of UK construction companies are involved with Build UK.
Open Doors partners
Build UK partners with Government, major construction projects, educational and regulatory bodies for Open Doors. This year’s partners include:
- CITB – the Construction Industry Training Board
- Considerate Constructors Scheme
- Construction Skills Certification Scheme
- Go Construct – yes, that’s us!
- HS2
- Department for Education (DfE)
- Department for Work and Pensions (DWP).
What sort of construction sites can you visit?
Scottish sites open for bookings include Kirkliston Primary & Early Years Extension, a project to extend the premises of a school near Edinburgh, and New Fleet Workshop near Glasgow, a facility for a new vehicle fleet and waste depot for North Lanarkshire Council.
Sites opening their doors In Wales include the Prince Charles Hospital in Merthyr Tydfil, where a major refurbishment project is taking place, repairs to the Tintern Wireworks Bride bridge, and the William Hare Production Site, a steel fabrication company near Newport.
A host of fascinating sites are open across England. Multiple HS2 sites will be available to view, including the excavation project for Old Oak Common Station in London, which will be the largest railway station ever built in the UK. From residential developments in Manchester to flood alleviation schemes in Merseyside, there is something to interest anyone curious about construction.
As part of Open Doors there will be the opportunity to visit the CITB National Construction Colleges (NCC) across the UK. Groups can get involved in training activities, watch demonstrations, tour the facility and ask the experts questions.
You can book visits to the NCC sites at Inchinnan, Scotland here and Bircham Newton, England here.
Frequently asked questions
It’s easy to book a visit. Just go to the Open Doors website and search the map. You can zoom in on particular regions and find a site that interests you. You will be able to see which days a site is open, the size of group it can accommodate and how many spaces are left. You can book directly through the website or contact the site organiser by email.
It will vary. Some sites might run visits lasting an hour, 90 minutes, two or three hours. The length of site visits will be shown on the Open Doors website.
Visitors might watch presentations, meet workers, go on a tour of the site, be given demonstrations or have Q&A sessions with members of construction staff. They might also take part in activities related to the work that goes on at the site in question.
Wear sensible shoes and comfortable clothing and bring a waterproof just in case. Any hard hats, hi vis jackets or other health and safety clothing that may be required while you are on site will be provided by the company managing the site.
Yes. Just make sure you or your school or college book on the Open Doors website.
The maximum size of group each site can accommodate will be listed on their Open Doors page.
Book a site visit now at Open Doors
Find out what it’s like to work on a real-life construction site. It’s easy to book a site visit with Open Doors – and if your school or college doesn’t know about Open Doors, bang on their door and tell them about it!