Hundreds of young people in Glasgow will gain the chance to explore careers in construction after Glasgow Chamber of Commerce secured the £25,000 Construction Employability Award (CEA) 2025/26 from B&CE's Charitable Trust.

The award will bolster the Chamber's three-year Construction Aware initiative, delivered with DYW Glasgow and FARE Scotland and supported by Landsec and The Wheatley Group. Developed with leading construction organisations, the programme was created in response to a sharp decline in pupils considering construction, and to help businesses address a growing sector skills gap.

Construction Aware brings employers together with schools and colleges to showcase job pathways, open up routes into work and inspire future talent. Participating employers have also committed to offer interviews to programme participants for any suitable vacancies that arise.

Nicola Sinclair, Head of the Charitable Trust, said: "We are proud to support organisations that make a real difference in the construction industry, and this year, we were especially impressed with the calibre of applicants.

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"Glasgow Chamber of Commerce stood out for its commitment to bridging the gap between education and employment in construction. The Construction Employability Award is about more than funding - it's about enabling people to start and sustain meaningful careers in construction."

Alison McRae, Senior Director at Glasgow Chamber of Commerce and co-chair of Glasgow's Employment and Skills Board and DYW Glasgow said: "We are very grateful to the B&CE Charitable Trust for its grant funding which will allow our team to continue to build and scale our impact across Glasgow. Construction Aware is a pioneering programme, co-designed and delivered with the support of our industry partners, that offers young people work experience opportunities to encourage, motivate and demonstrate that a career in construction is achievable and exciting.

"The funding will allow us to continue our outreach, working closely with businesses, schools and colleges, to ensure that young people are aware of, and have access to, real career opportunities in construction."

Now in its 11th year, the CEA provides £25,000 to a UK-based organisation demonstrating strong commitment to accredited training and employability in the construction sector.

Applications for the CEA 2026/27 are expected to open in September 2026. Further details and newsletter sign-up are available on the award's website - bandce.co.uk/the-charitable-trust/corporate-support/the-construction-employability-award/