Scotland recently celebrated Apprenticeship week. Alan Burns, Divisions Manager for City Building, explains why the event serves as a reminder to the construction industry for the need to have a continued commitment to delivering structured apprenticeship schemes that will help address the emerging skills gap and identify future leaders.

There have been reports for some time of a skills gap in the construction industry where talents like bricklaying, steel-fixing and concreting are in short supply. One way of addressing this loss of skills is to encourage more young people to consider an apprenticeship as a career route.Quality Apprenticeships can help people progress and succeed and they can help businesses create the skilled workforce they need to compete in an increasingly competitive marketplace.

Leading Scottish construction company, City Building, has rewarded the tradespeople of tomorrow at its annual Apprentice Awards, which took place on Tuesday 16 June.

Around 180 apprentices across all sectors of the business including, construction, administration, heating and lift engineering were shortlisted for the awards, which were hosted by Radio Clyde DJ Diane Knox (Knoxy) at the City Chambers in Glasgow.

23 awards were handed out at the event which saw 4th year apprentice painter and decorator Lee Raeburn named City Building Apprentice of the year.