Wates

About Wates

Established in 1897, and having celebrated our 125th anniversary in 2022, the Wates Group is one of the leading privately-owned construction, residential development and property services businesses in the UK. We employ over 4,000 people and work with a wide range of public and private sector customers and partners.  

We’re committed to the long-term sustainability of the built environment and aim to eliminate carbon from our operations by 2025. We’re honored to have recently received a Queen’s Award for Enterprise in the Sustainable Development category, which is a record third win for the company.  

In addition to being a Gold “Investors in People” business, in acknowledgement of our commitment to increasing the proportion of women within our business, Wates Group has been listed as one of The Times Top 50 Employers for Women 2022, as it takes action to decrease gender inequality and make Wates a fairer place to work at all levels of our business and broadening the ethnic diversity of our workforce. 

We take particular pride in our early careers programmes and are targeted at undergraduates, graduates, school and college leavers and trade professionals. These development initiatives are accessible and flexible and allow the widest possible group of aspirational people to join us. Whatever your interests, we’ll help you find the right path. One where you can explore, grow and thrive

Our Programme 

As far as eligibility goes, you’ll need to have achieved, or working towards GCSE Maths and English - Grade4/C or above and a minimum of 2 A-Levels or equivalent (for example, Level 3 College qualification, BTEC, T-Level etc) at grades DD or above.

Our Early Careers programmes offer rotational development, technical and behavioural training, and a host of additional benefits. We provide the foundation skills, knowledge and experience you’ll need to build a long-term, successful career as you’re mentored by some of the best professionals in the industry. We have over 150 talented trainees on our programmes, providing amazing opportunities to build a network, collaborate and share learning with your peers.