A rising star in the Scottish construction industry swapped his hard hat and boots for a suit and tie on Wednesday when he visited the Scottish Parliament.

Alexander Wood, 24, a final year apprentice joiner for CBC, Central Building Contractors, was invited to the Scottish Parliament by his local constituency MSP Trish Godman in recognition of being named Scotland’s top Adult Construction Apprentice of 2009/10.

Alexander was named winner of the Adult category of Scotland’s only Construction Apprentice Awards scheme, the James Birnie Awards, at a ceremony in Aberdeen in October.

Joining Alexander on his exclusive visit to the Scottish Parliament yesterday were CBC’s Managing Director, James McAlpine and Michael Levack, Chief Executive of the Scottish Building Federation and employers’ secretary for the Scottish Building and Training Council, the organisers of the James Birnie Awards.

The group were given a guided tour of the Scottish Parliament and lunch with Ms Godman. While there, they also took up the opportunity to listen to the afternoon’s debate in the main chamber.

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Speaking following his visit Alexander Wood said: "I'm really grateful to Trish Godman for having invited me to visit the Scottish Parliament. It was a great opportunity to learn more about Scottish politics and how the Parliament works.

"It's given me a real boost to have my award recognised in this way and I look forward to finishing my apprenticeship in August and continuing to develop my skills in the industry."

Alexander was crowned this year's top adult construction apprentice in recognition of his natural talent, un-rivalled enthusiasm and knowledge and understanding of theory. In his spare time, Alexander works as a volunteer at a theatre workshop, making sets for the Edinburgh festival and for ITV television series Rebus.

Michael Levack said: "Alexander has a very promising future ahead of him in the construction industry and our visit to the Scottish Parliament was the perfect opportunity to celebrate his outstanding talent.

"I think it also gave Trish Godman an important insight into the crucial role apprentices play in our industry."

Trish Godman MSP said he was "delighted" to welcome Alexander and his colleagues to the Scottish Parliament.

"I was very interested to hear about Alexander’s apprenticeship training and his hopes for the future. By all accounts he is a very talented craftsman.

"I'm always delighted to hear about local constituency successes. For Alexander to have been named Scotland’s top Adult Construction Apprentice of the Year is a significant achievement and I’d like to congratulate Alexander once again for having won the James Birnie Award."

Founded in 1895, the Scottish Building Federation (SBF) is the lead voice of the construction industry in Scotland, an industry which is the largest source of private investment north of the border and contributes more than £10 billion to Scotland's GDP.

(GK/BMcC)