Five engineering trainees at civil, structural and geotechnical engineers Richard Jackson Limited have been given first-hand experience of construction in action with a visit to developer Jaynic’s EpiCentre scheme at Haverhill Research Park in Haverhill, Suffolk.
Richard Jackson who is the engineer on the EpiCentre project was able to show the trainees (that included four apprentices) the building’s frame being assembled by contractor Parkway. The steel frame is progressing well, and the precast concrete stairs and lift shaft were being installed while the apprentices were on-site.
The EpiCentre project has been made possible with finance provided jointly through a £3.5m loan by West Suffolk Council and £2.7m of Local Growth Fund investment from the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority.
As part of the scheme funding Jaynic contracted to participate in an apprenticeship programme to support training in the region.
Nic Rumsey, managing director of Jaynic said: “We are well aware of the challenges construction is currently facing with a lack of young people coming into the industry and are very happy to facilitate apprenticeship training at Haverhill Research Park.”
Robert Morris, the project’s director at Richard Jackson, said: “We are delighted to be working with Jaynic in bringing the EpiCentre and other projects to fruition. Richard Jackson appreciates the importance of developing the next generation of engineers through a variety of experiences. This site visit has given our trainees and apprentices a valuable understanding of the many specialisms required to deliver construction projects to a high standard.”
The 30,000 sq ft four-storey EpiCentre is due for completion this coming November and is directly adjacent to the ‘Spirit of Enterprise’ roundabout at the entrance to Haverhill. The 60 office suites are available for pre-let immediately from November for as little as three months, together with breakout spaces, meeting and conference rooms and a café open to the public. The offices will be rented out on a fully inclusive basis to include reception, concierge, rent, rates and utilities, and the building has fibre broadband with a minimum capacity of One Gigabyte.