With a firm belief in the need to attract and retain the best talent from all backgrounds in order to build a high-performance culture, and to help invest in and inspire future generations into the workforce to address the skills gap, the company recruited 119 Apprentices in 2019, taking the total number of Apprentices across the group at the beginning of 2020 to 280.

Jo Volk, director of talent & development at Balfour Beatty said: "National Apprentice Week is vital for attracting young people into the industry for long term, exciting and rewarding careers, which will not only help to address the skills gap but will improve the diversity of our business.

"Apprentices at Balfour Beatty benefit not only from their occupational apprenticeship but also through broader developmental training; including health and safety, project management, communication, teamwork, leadership and networking; ultimately helping to equip them with the skills required to further their careers"

Providing a personal insight on the experience of an apprentice, Bethany Welsh, a civil engineering apprentice at Balfour Beatty said: "I believe there are so many benefits of undergoing an apprenticeship at Balfour Beatty. Everyone can gain qualifications at the same time as getting valuable, real work experience.

"Throughout my apprenticeship at Balfour Beatty, I have been commended for my communication skills which I believe flourished due to the scheme. National Apprenticeship Week is a celebration and recognition of all the hard work we as apprentices put into the business."