Hawk Group has helped host an industry event to encourage more people into construction careers and apprenticeships in Manchester.

The company hosted the exhibition in collaboration with Highways England, Manchester Smart Motorways and Flannery Plant in Irlam on Saturday, 01 October.

Over 100 people attended the event and got the opportunity to take part in machine operating challenges including telehandler basketball, tyre stacking and an excavator hook challenge. In addition, attendants were able to try out a state-of-the-art machinery simulator.

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The event, which is first of a run of exhibitions to be held over the next six months throughout England, also managed to secure 60 applications for plant operating and plant mechanic apprenticeships with both Flannery and Hawk.

Ann Duffy, Project Skills Co ordinator, Manchester Smart Motorways, said: "We are all delighted with the response to this event, it is so important that companies in this industry do what they can to encourage people into a career in construction. This will be the first of many events that we hold across England and we hope it will have a really positive effect on bringing much needed new people into the industry."

Paul Whitehead at Highways England added: "There is a huge shortage of skilled construction workers in the UK and very little being done to encourage new workers into this fast growing industry. Highway England, MSM, Flannery and Hawk have collaborated to put on this career event. We feel it was a great success and we had had some really positive feedback from attendees."

(LM)