Balfour Beatty introduces royalty to its apprentices

Balfour Beatty welcomed His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh to its Raynesway facility in Derby, to meet with employees, including those from its Early Careers population who are currently participating in, or have completed, their Gold Duke of Edinburgh’s (DofE) Award.

During the visit, The Duke met with 20 Balfour Beatty Graduates and Apprentices to understand the wide range of benefits that the DofE offers and the skills and knowledge they have developed.

Balfour Beatty began offering Gold DofE programmes – which aim to inspire and transform the lives of millions of young people from all backgrounds and circumstances – in 2014, to broaden the experience for young people who are employed within its business. The Duke met young people completing their DofE through DofE Business, which supports organisations to offer the DofE to the young people they employ.

Any Balfour Beatty employee who meets the eligibility criteria can apply to do their Gold DofE, as part of the extensive learning and development offering the company provides.

As part of the visit, The Duke of Edinburgh also toured Balfour Beatty’s Rail Innovation Hub at the Raynesway facility, to see first-hand how the company is leading the charge in researching and testing digital solutions for the railway of the future. The Duke was also introduced to the company’s robotic employee – ‘Spot the Dog’ – which uses 3D laser scanning technology to model construction sites remotely.

Jo Volk, Director of Resourcing, Engagement and Development at Balfour Beatty, who escorted The Duke around the facility, said: “It was an honour to welcome His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh to Raynesway.

“As a member of The 5% Club, we have long been committed to investment in young people and supporting them to obtain the knowledge and experience they need to build their confidence and skills. The Duke of Edinburgh Gold Award programme is just one example of how we develop our people and help to shape careers.  We are really proud of our long and fruitful partnership with The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award.”