The European initiative, launched in Scotland in 2018 by the Scottish Union of Supported Employment (SUSE), connects employers and participants to promote equal employment opportunities. The scheme allows individuals, many of whom live with disabilities or additional support needs, to shadow an employee for a day and gain insight into a real working environment.

This year’s DuoDay took place on Thursday, 20 November 2025, providing a meaningful opportunity for participants to observe and engage in day-to-day operations across different disciplines within the homebuilding industry.

Eight participants joined staff across The Springfield Group’s offices in Inverness, Elgin, and Larbert to explore career possibilities within construction, project management, communications, administration, and other related fields.

DuoDay successfully connected 30 participants with meaningful job shadowing and work taster experiences, hosted and supported by 15 organisations across Scotland. This initiative reflects a strong commitment to fostering inclusion and creating pathways into employment through collaborative partnerships.

Tobias Johnston, from Bo’ness, spent the day with the group’s HR and communications teams in Larbert. After previously studying graphic design, Tobi decided to explore a new career path: “I have learned a lot about various office tasks and have gained insights into how the homebuilding sector works. My favourite part was the activities. It gave a very involved look into the type of work Springfield do. It helped to see the different aspects of potential roles and what jobs I’d be interested in.”

Heather Henderson, HR director at The Springfield Group, said: “We’ve had fantastic feedback from our volunteers and from the people who joined us across Scotland. DuoDay is so much more than work experience - it helps build confidence, develops real employability skills, and shows participants that they have a place in our industry.

“DuoDay is about removing barriers and giving people the opportunity to demonstrate what they can bring to a workplace. We’re incredibly proud to support an initiative that champions inclusion and opens doors for future talent - we’ve already signed up for next year.

“We were introduced to DuoDay by John Brown of Growth Solutions Scotland, who suggested we take part after seeing the enthusiasm and passion our HR team has for supporting people. We’re grateful for the connection and delighted to have been involved in such a meaningful initiative.”

CEO of SUSE, David Cameron, added: “We are delighted to partner with The Springfield Group for DuoDay. This collaboration reflects our shared commitment to building inclusive workplaces and inspiring disabled job seekers to pursue meaningful careers. Springfield’s leadership in this space is truly commendable and together we are proud to be setting a standard for the sector - creating a culture where everyone has the opportunity to thrive.”