A week-long campaign to attract more people into careers in construction kicks off today, as 19 Scottish construction sites including the new Peter Pan Moat Brae Trust in Dumfries pull back their hoardings to welcome in members of the public.

Open Doors 2018 – which is delivered by Build UK in partnership with CITB – will take place at sites throughout the country between March 19-24.

Suzannah Nichol, Build UK chief executive, said: “Open Doors 2018 is set to be another record-breaking year with lots of fantastic sites opening up across Scotland, England and Wales. Open Doors provides an ideal opportunity for the industry to open its doors and highlight the vast array of jobs and careers available within it.”

The 19 venues include new builds as well as established icons, including the restoration and extension of Dumfries’s new Peter Pan-inspired Family Attraction at Moat Brae, the refurbishment of Edinburgh College of Art, and the construction of 38 new affordable, low carbon homes at Victoria Street in Blantyre on behalf of Clyde Valley Housing Association.

Barry Dawson, local manager, CITB Scotland, said: “Open Doors is a fantastic campaign which raises awareness of the importance of the construction industry in Scotland. By inviting members of the public behind the scenes at Scotland’s top construction sites, it demonstrates just what it takes to create the iconic buildings of the future, and how rewarding a career in the industry can be.”

Cathy Agnew, project director, Peter Pan Moat Brae Trust, said: “We are delighted to support Open Doors during the final phase of Works at Moat Brae. As well as being a family attraction, Moat Brae will play a significant role in the regeneration of Dumfries, championing new opportunities for young people across the whole region. What better way to start by encouraging the young workforce of the future to find out about potential careers as Scotland celebrates 2018 as The Year of Young People. We hope young people will take up the chance to have a sneak peek inside Moat Brae and see all the fabulous work that is going in to reviving this iconic building and its Neverland Discovery Garden.”

Once on site, visitors will gain exclusive access to various aspects of the construction work being carried out, along with tours and presentations. They will also be encouraged to find out more about potential careers in construction at the industry’s careers website –Go Construct.

The event is also supported by the Construction Skills Certification Scheme (CSCS) and Considerate Contractors Scheme (CCS).

The 19 Open Doors sites in Scotland include: