To mark Scottish Apprenticeship Week 2026, Built Environment – Smarter Transformation (BE-ST) has delivered specialist training to over 140 apprentices and pre-apprentices.

The sessions, held in Glasgow and Dumfries & Galloway, focused on the essential "green" skills required to decarbonise Scotland's aging building stock and meet national climate goals.

The week-long initiative involved hands-on training for apprentices from City Building and Mears in Glasgow, alongside pre-apprentices at Dumfries & Galloway College. Participants represented a wide range of trades, including carpentry, joinery, plumbing, heating, painting, decorating, and electrical work.

The training was delivered through two flagship BE-ST programmes:

• Introduction to Building Physics Dynamics: A CPD-certified course funded by Ufi VocTech Trust. Using bespoke training rigs, apprentices learned how insulation, airtightness tapes, and membranes perform in real-world scenarios, ensuring on-site decisions support long-term energy performance and moisture management.

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• Low Carbon Passport: An accredited course funded by the CITB Industry Impact Fund. This first-of-its-kind programme equips professionals with core competencies in thermal performance, sequencing, and airtightness, highlighting how build quality directly impacts a structure's carbon footprint.

Kirsty Duncan, Associate Director of Skills Infrastructure at BE-ST, said: "Apprentices play a critical part in our current and future workforce. By embedding building performance and low carbon principles early in their careers, we're strengthening the industry's capacity to meet national climate targets while addressing critical skills imbalances. Scottish Apprenticeship Week is the perfect moment to shine a light on that work."

Lynsey Chambers, Training College Manager at City Building, added: "City Building are ensuring our future workforce has the skills and abilities needed to achieve Net Zero. BE-ST's Introduction to Building Physics and Low Carbon Passport courses are a great first step in nurturing our sustainability strategy."

The feedback from participants underscored the practical value of the sessions. One apprentice noted they learned how to "ensure I don't affect the insulation in the houses where I work," while a Low Carbon Passport student highlighted that the course provided a deeper understanding of product selection based on durability and performance characteristics.

BE-ST intends to continue delivering these and other training programmes throughout the year to support the Scottish construction sector's transition to a low-carbon future.