Jobless youngsters are building the foundations for successful careers in the construction industry as part of the regeneration of Dundee’s Ardler estate.

Sanctuary Scotland Housing Association awarded a £22.7 million contract to create 269 high quality homes on four sites across Scotland to GRAHAM Construction last year.

The contract has seen GRAHAM offer 12 new apprenticeships in various trades including joinery, brick-laying and plumbing. Four apprentices are helping build 60 houses in Birkdale Place, Ardler, to complete Sanctuary Scotland’s regeneration of the area.

Apprentice bricklayer Dean Elder was taken on when his employer went out of business last September.

Dean was two years into an apprenticeship with WH Brown Construction at the time and is delighted to continue his learning with GRAHAM.

Dean, 20, of Dundee, said: "I'm just starting out on my career and it was a massive blow when Browns went bust.

"It's been fantastic to be able to restart my apprenticeship with GRAHAM. It’s a great company to work for and I’m looking forward to continuing to work here for many years to come."

Fellow apprentice Dylan Muir spent the last four years of his schooling in Cyprus, leaving him without any formal qualifications.

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However, Dylan’s maturity and enthusiasm so impressed Discover Opportunities (a partnership of Skills Development Scotland, Job Centre Plus and Dundee City Council, who sourced the Ardler-based apprentices and trainees), it recommended Dylan to GRAHAM.

Dylan, 18, an apprentice joiner from Ardler, said: "I knew my qualifications weren’t up to scratch, so I was really pleased to be given the chance by GRAHAM.

"I've already enrolled at college and am learning on the job all the time.

"It can be really hard to find good apprenticeship opportunities at the moment and I’m over the moon I’ve been able to secure one."

In addition to Dean and Dylan, Sanctuary’s completion of Ardler helped create several other training opportunities. Daniel Simpson from Forfar has started his plumbing apprenticeship with subcontractor SKM Services (Scotland), while GRAHAM has given opportunities to new entrant forklift drivers Alan Heaney and Graham Mather, both of Dundee.

Michael Graham, executive chairman at GRAHAM Construction, said: "Dean and Dylan are precisely the kind of employees we want at GRAHAM.

"We are always interested in talking to talented people and we recognised right away that Dean and Dylan would make enthusiastic and capable apprentices willing to learn.

"The last year or so has been tough for the construction industry and we know some firms have struggled to keep apprentices in work, so it’s great to be able to offer people like Dean a second chance. Likewise, we could see the potential in Dylan despite his lack of formal qualifications.

"GRAHAM Construction is always interested in rewarding talent and hard work and in these cases we’ve seen both."

GRAHAM is offering £100,000 worth of community benefit investment across the four sites as part of its agreement with Sanctuary. In Dundee, this will see a property being converted in the coming months for the use of the Ardler Village Trust.

Peter Martin, Sanctuary’s Group director – development, said: "Sanctuary always tries to create employment and training opportunities whenever we invest and this includes on our new-build developments.

"By working in partnership with GRAHAM and our other contractors, we ensure we maximise the number of apprentices and other trainees on our sites who get the chance to learn life-changing skills.

"Sanctuary is committed to providing local employment and training at all our sites across the UK."

(GK)