Caunton Engineering was one of the national companies represented at the Nottingham University School of Civil Engineering Careers Fair being held at the Telford Orangery, on the lookout for what Human Resources Manager Jacquie Swinn describes as ‘gold dust’.

She said: "Trying to find and retain good young engineers gets harder every year. There are just not enough of them coming through the universities while the country’s need for their skills is growing fast. At Caunton we are attracting graduate engineers by offering sponsorships for students in their final year or two of structural engineering and civil engineering degrees, as well as giving them paid work placements during their summer holiday periods.

"We attract three a year onto our Graduate Trainee Scheme that way, mostly from Nottingham University recently, but others have come from Manchester University and Sheffield University.

Caunton Engineering is also tackling the shortage of skills in constructional engineering by setting up an in house Academy that trains school-leavers in equally vital trade skills like plating and welding. Caunton’s Marketing Director Geoffrey Taylor said: "We have built up very strong relationships with local schools and offer temporary work placements and company visits to give youngsters an idea of what it would be like working in our industry. This approach has been very successful in attracting good quality youngsters to work for us."

The photograph shows Gavin Christie and Ashley Reeves manning the Careers Fair Stand. Both are very much involved with the link between Caunton and Nottingham University. Gavin is now permanently employed at Caunton having been sponsored throughout his Nottingham University civil engineering degree course by Caunton. Ashley Reeves is still a student there and just as Gavin was, is being sponsored by Caunton.