2024 was a year of high achievement and memorable milestones for Castle.
We have a fantastic, loyal team here at Castle and it is down to their talent and commitment that we are the company we are today. They are based at our headquarters in Hebburn and at our offices in Scotland.
The growth in headcount is one clear indicator we are delivering, in collaboration with our customers and suppliers, a consistently high service. We have a strong board of directors providing strategic guidance and an experienced and ambitious senior management team who ensure we are always operating at the highest level. Their top focus is the development of a unified team culture in which every individual has the opportunity to thrive.
It is crucial that, as our footprint grows, our people remain at the heart of the journey. We want them to stay with us for the long term and to continue to develop new skills.
An example of this is that, as part of our own sustainable journey, we have developed a programme in which we continue to invest and upskill our team, with members of each department achieving Passivhaus Institute certification. This construction methodology enables us to deliver modern, forward-looking projects, that support regional economic growth and limit the impact the development has on the environment and the local community
Showcasing how our people grow will also have the added benefit of demonstrating to prospective employees that we are a caring business, an employer of choice and champions of an inclusive work environment.
In the last year we have played our part in ensuring a continuous flow of young people into the construction sector. We have supported regional and national initiatives to heighten the profile of the sector to school pupils and college students and we are keen and active advocates of the PlanBEE higher apprenticeship programme, for which we have a dedicated team in place to offer guidance and support.
Each apprentice is presented with an action plan to equip them to work across the business in varying positions and giving them experience in each department.
Ensuring the health, safety and wellbeing of our people is at the forefront of our thoughts and our divisional director, MEP, Richard Farrel, is also our designated director of health and safety. As part of our commitment in this area, a helpline has been established should employees wish to seek guidance from outside of the business. Our people deliver for the business every day and often go beyond the call of duty to respond to the need of our customers. We are one team and we want to be here for them, if they need additional support and help.
We also want to create an environment for our team to enjoy and thrive within and, for that reason, we are fully refurbishing our office, to create a dynamic, modern working space, with lots of break out and communal areas for colleagues to enjoy.
We have a clear vision for our future and our confidence is high. We have secured a strong forward order book and we will be recruiting for various positions across the business to help us to deliver on a very strong year ahead.