North Lanarkshire Council has marked Scottish Apprenticeship Week with a visit to the Lochside development in Gartcosh to meet with local apprentices learning the tricks of the trade on the tools.

Council Leader Jim Logue was joined by Chief Executive Des Murray and Housing Manager Tony Mallaghan on the site visit, where they met with four bricklaying and joinery apprentices, to hear how they are developing their skills and gaining valuable experience of the construction sector.

Persimmon are one of Scotland's largest employers of bricklaying apprentices – with our apprenticeship programme including both young people and adults who are upskilling. The current crop of apprentices are undertaking a mixture of bricklaying, joinery and roofing modern apprenticeship frameworks and include the company's first three female apprentices in Scotland.

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During the visit, the Council team also met with West Scotland Managing Director Chris Logan to talk about the vital role that apprentices play within the company as well as the wider opportunities and challenges the industry is facing.

Councillor Jim Logue, Leader of North Lanarkshire Council, said: "A key part of our Developing the Young Workforce Strategy is to provide people with the skills and experiences they need to build successful careers. We work closely with local employers to develop strong partnerships and to provide apprenticeship opportunities. The partnership we have with Persimmon is a shining example of this approach.

"It was great to visit the construction site at Gartcosh and learn first-hand from the apprentices about the outstanding opportunities the programme is giving them. I'd like to congratulate everyone involved in this excellent initiative."

Managing Director of Persimmon West Scotland, Chris Logan said: "It was great to welcome the team from North Lanarkshire Council to our Lochside development and to introduce them to some of the fantastic apprentices gaining valuable skills and experience on our site.

"Apprentices are a vital part of our future workforce and Persimmon has made real strides in progressing our apprenticeship programme in recent years – not only increasing the number of our apprentices but also improving our diversity.

"As one of the largest employers of bricklaying apprentices in Scotland, we're committed to providing opportunities in our developments for everybody within the communities in which we operate."