Building careers in booming construction sector

THE construction sector is proving to be a hotbed of opportunity for young people in the Lochaber area says the local enterprise company there.

Over 20 Modern Apprentices (MAs) have been recruited recently across all trades in Lochaber including electricians, plumbers, bricklayers, joiners and painters and decorators.

CITB ConstructionSkills, the training provider responsible for these MAs says that like most other parts of the Highlands and Islands, Lochaber is experiencing a booming construction sector.

Jim Inglis from CITB ConstructionSkills said: "Due to large scale investment by both the private and public sectors in developments as wide ranging as infrastructure and private housing to schools and local authority housing development, the future looks bright for the construction and building sector in the foreseeable future.

"This means there are good opportunities for young people in Lochaber to forge rewarding, well paid careers across a range of disciplines with a wide variety of local employers through the Modern Apprenticeship programme."

MAs have been around for the past 12 years and allow employers to recruit highly capable, motivated people. The MA framework ensures they are trained to industry-recognised standards and are aimed mainly at young people over 16 years of age who want to complete a vocational qualification (VQ) at level three or above.

The MA framework is put together by a range of partners with CITB ConstructionSkills representing and consulting with employers to ensure the framework is relevant to their needs. The framework also incorporates enough flexibility to ensure the specific requirements of each business can be met, whatever specialist services they provide.

The enterprise networks, and those in the education, training and industry fields also provide advice about the most appropriate framework for each sector. Financial support is available for MAs through the Skillseekers initiative at local enterprise companies (LECs), though each employer is expected to meet the costs of wages and contribute to some training.

Morven Cameron from Lochaber Enterprise said: "MAs provide employers with a high quality, local source of employees who are keen to train and develop their skills. It also allows employers to plan more effectively and gives their businesses a more solid base when it comes to succession planning."