Tyne Coast College electrical students sample the world of work

With a headcount of over 100 staff and offices in Hebburn, Glasgow, Edinburgh and Teesside, Castle, which last year recorded £30 million turnover, is one of the UK’s leading providers of building services, offering a wide range of high-quality engineering and contracting services covering all aspects of building, mechanical, public health, renewable and electrical engineering.

The company won the 2023 Constructing Excellence in the North East SME of the year Award, where it was praised for its commitment to social value initiatives and developing strong career routes for its team.

It is also a supporter of the South Tyneside Pledge, a commitment from organisations in the borough to boost local economic activity and enhance civic pride.

Andrew Dawson, managing director at Castle, said: “Where possible, we give back to the communities in which we operate. We have developed close links with the college and, when approached by its head of electrical, Keith Pippen, we looked at ways to accommodate the students to fulfil their required work experience.

“Working in pairs, they shadowed colleagues on a number of live projects in the region, including St George House, Team Valley, where we are appointed as principal contractor by UK Land Estates to transform the historic building into modern office space.

“We have received great feedback from the apprentices and we look forward to our continued close relationship with the college.”

Val Quinan, work placement officer at Tyne Coast College, said: “Castle has been a fantastic employer to work with. They have been very supportive and accommodating giving our students week-long work placements, and ‘hands on’ experience of working doing electrical installations on live construction projects. The students loved the experience, it gave them a great insight into working in this sector.”