Leading infrastructure and engineering company, Avove, has continued its commitment to inspiring the next generation of talent by meeting with students at East Durham College's Houghall Campus.
Two of Avove’s Arboricultural Surveyors joined first- and second-year students as part of a masterclass session to discuss surveying and cutting opportunities in relation to the Northern Powergrid contract that is actively supporting residents across Yorkshire and the North East region.
As part of the event, students were given a first-hand opportunity to hone their surveying skills, studying a site with a dead tree that needed removing to mitigate the risk of powerline disruption. As part of the session, they were given an Emergency Works Assignment and an opportunity to explore career opportunities with Avove as part of its Vegetation Management team.
As former students of Houghall, Avove’s Matthew Greensmith and Toby Scott were well-placed to advise and support the group, answering any questions they had about the role, responsibilities and career path.
Thomas Minns, Course Manager at Houghall, commented: “We really appreciate Avove taking the time to speak to the class about their work and we’ve had some glowing feedback from the students as they benefited from the industry insights that were shared.
“The session sparked a lot of interest and enthusiasm, and having personally worked on the network myself, it’s great to see similar career opportunities open to the next generation too.
“I’m pleased to see Matt and Toby thriving in their new roles and would like to thank them both for giving students a clear understanding of what a career in Arboriculture looks like once they graduate.”
Iain Forbes, Business Support Coordinator at Avove, added: “As a business, we are committed to inspiring the next generation of talent and there is no better way of achieving this than having former students share their first-hand experiences.
“Already, we have received several CVs from students, with many more expressing an interest in pursuing a career as an arborist or surveyor once they leave college. The college have asked us to return in January 2026 to explore additional career and development opportunities.”
