Barnes Construction extends deadline in search for 100th management trainee

Why it matters: The regional building contractor, headquartered at Ransomes Europark, says no prior knowledge or experience of construction is required to apply, offering school and college leavers a route into managerial roles without going directly to university.

The details: Barnes Construction introduced its management trainee programme in 1979, one year after the company began trading. Since then, 97 young people from Suffolk schools have joined as trainees.

• 19 trainees are currently in training, rotating across each department, gaining site and office experience and working towards their BSc (Hons) degrees.
• Half of the 97 trainees recruited since 1979 still work at the company.
• 29 hold management and senior roles, including three who are currently directors.
• The first management trainee, Chris Bruce, was taken on in 1979 from Chantry High School and went on to become Pre-Contracts Divisional Director before stepping back as a director earlier this year.

What they're saying: Divisional Surveying Director Simon Severwright, who oversees the programme and was himself recruited as a trainee in 1997 from Thurleston High School, said: "You don't need to have any prior knowledge or experience of the construction industry to become one of our management trainees. We are on the lookout for applicants who are ambitious, have strong GCSE results and either have or expect to achieve good A-level results or equivalent vocational qualifications."

He added: "There is a huge variety of managerial roles in construction, office or site-based, technical or commercial. It normally takes around four years to complete the training scheme, and successful trainees will get to spend time in each of the different departments of the business, while they work towards their BSc (Hons) degree."

The bottom line: The 100th management trainee will be appointed from this year's cohort and will start in September. For information or to apply, email recruitment@barnesconstruction.co.uk before Friday, 1 May.

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