Council Leader marks Scottish Apprenticeship Week on site in Stonehouse

The Leader of South Lanarkshire Council visited local apprentices on Persimmon West Scotland’s Avon Water Walk development.

Council Leader Joe Fagan and local councillor Susan Kerr met with apprentices learning the tricks of the trade on the tools during a site visit to mark Scottish Apprenticeship Week.

Persimmon is one of Scotland’s largest employers of bricklaying apprentices – with the homebuilder’s apprenticeship programme including both young people and adults who are upskilling.

The current crop of apprentices is undertaking a mixture of bricklaying, joinery and roofing as well as painting and decorating Modern Apprenticeship frameworks.  We reached a record number of 45 apprentices in Scotland last year, including four female apprentices.

During the visit, the South Lanarkshire duo also met with Persimmon West Scotland Land Director, Craig Moore, and Construction Director, Michael McCarron, to talk about the vital role that apprentices play within the business, as well as the wider opportunities and challenges the industry is facing.

Joe Fagan, Leader of South Lanarkshire Council, said:

 “It was really good to talk to some of the apprentices on our visit to the site, especially during Scottish Apprenticeship Week. Their enthusiasm to be learning new, practical skills that will be the basis of their future careers was really infectious and great to see.

“Growing the next generation of skilled workers is more than just a business necessity, it is the duty of everyone involved in both the private and public sectors to provide these opportunities, for the current crop of young people and for the generations that follow them.

“We have to invest in skills and jobs to build an economy that is not only more productive but is also more inclusive. South Lanarkshire Council itself has an extensive programme of apprenticeships across a wide range of services, and I was glad to see Persimmon is taking the same, forward-thinking approach.”

Michael McCarron, Persimmon West Scotland Construction Director, said:

“We’re proud of our apprenticeship programme and it was great to have Cllr Fagan and Cllr Kerr on site to see how our developments are helping to equip young people with the skills and experience they need for a successful career.

“Persimmon has made real progress with our apprenticeship programme in recent years and we look forward to continuing to create new jobs and training opportunities across South Lanarkshire in the future.”