Booking opens for tours of buildings sites this March

The semi-annual event that shows off the construction industry by letting people go behind the hoardings onto building sites returns in March, and booking is open now.

Stockley flyover 2014 (c) ianVisits

The event, Open Doors 2024, shows off the construction industry and was set up to show off how varied and exciting a career in the trade can be, but it’s also an event that’s open to anyone interested in modern civil engineering. It’s also a fascinating opportunity, as anyone who has ever been on a building site or peered through the gaps in the fencing to see what’s going on will confirm.

Open Doors aims to change perceptions around construction and encourage the next generation to explore the wide range of opportunities available across the sector.

While construction work has an unfair lingering reputation of dodgy builders, in truth, work on a modern construction site is a highly-skilled, and often highly paid job requiring a lot of specialised knowledge and with a seemingly unending supply of jobs.

Bookings for Open Doors 2024 are now live, with visits set to take place between Monday 18th and Saturday 23rd March 2024. Check attendance requirements for an event before booking, as some have limitations regarding who can attend – such as school groups only, etc.

There is a filter option on the map search to “public only” to save you some time when looking.

Schools and colleges are particularly encouraged to book a visit and open the eyes of their students to the careers available in their local community. However, the curious public are still welcome to visit.

You can search for events in London and across the UK here.

(although I’ve noticed since I wrote this that a lot of events have been added to the London map but aren’t in London – so caveat emptor when booking)

So far, venues available include the Blackwall Tunnel, Wood Wharf, Millennium Bridge House, the Broadgate tower, and HS2’s logistics hub. More sites will continue to be added throughout the next few weeks, so keep an eye on the Open Doors website for up-to-date locations and sites in your area.