WORKERS at Jackson Civil Engineering are celebrating after the company achieved the Gold standard under the Investors in People training and development scheme.

The Ipswich-based company, which is part of the SEH Group, employs around 270 people and has seven regional offices around the country.

Chief executive Richard Neall said that Jackson had a record of using external accreditations such as Investors in People (IiP) to measure itself against its competitors.

“This award is particularly pleasing, as it suggests we are amongst the best organisations to work for across all businesses, not just construction,” he said.

“The people at Jackson Civil Engineering are brilliant to work with and they fully deserve all the credit for this award.”

Technical director Jim Chaplin said: “This IiP Award is a real achievement for Jackson. We invest a great deal in our staff and run a comprehensive graduate and industrial placement scheme to ensure we continue to invest in our future workforce.

“From a personal point of view, I started at Jackson at 16 and have worked my way through the ranks. From that perspective, it’s a great company to work for, and we get great satisfaction from giving young people an opportunity in the work place.”

Joe Wroe, 21, is halfway through a degree in Quantity Surveying at Nottingham Trent University, and joined Jackson for a placement year. He said: “This year has given me the opportunity to put all the theory I’ve learned at university in to practice.

“I’ve also gained a valuable insight into how the industry works, which will definitely be an advantage when I go back to complete my degree in September.”

Samantha Brown, 24, has recently completed her AAT accounting qualification whilst working in the finance department. She said: “I’ve been at Jackson for four years, and being able to study for my qualification without having to give up my job and go back to college has been great.

“I’m really lucky to have been given this opportunity, and I think it’s important that local companies are still investing in people like me, despite the recession.”