City Building has enhanced its reputation as one of the largest employers of young people in Scotland by offering permanent jobs to 97% of their graduating fourth-year apprentices.

More than 50 joiners, electricians, painters and plumbers have been retained in response to growing demand for City Building’s services within the city. In the first year since the joint venture with Glasgow City Council and Wheatley Group, City Building has enjoyed a notable surge in its workload as private and public clients continue to invest in refurbishment projects throughout the city.

City Building’s newest recruits will be tasked with carrying out vital construction, repair and maintenance and manufacturing services at sites such as Sighthill Community Campus, Glasgow City Chambers, the Wingets homes in Carntyne and Leithland Residential Care Home.

Hoping to one day follow in their steps is the next generation of apprentices who were also welcomed into City Building this week. A total of 60 youngsters have been accepted onto the organisation’s four-year training programme where they will spend time learning essential theory at college as well as gaining practical onsite experience. The new apprentices have been recruited from across the city, supported by Glasgow City Council’s Glasgow Guarantee. Half of the new recruits live in homes managed by GHA, Cube or YourPlace, all part of Wheatley Group. Wheatley’s charitable trust, Wheatley Foundation, provided £125,000 funding towards these apprenticeships.

Among the 60 new apprentices is Chloe Ross (17), who was inspired to apply after hearing about the achievements of Lisa Murphy (21) – a rising star within City Building who has twice been awarded the prestigious industry Johnstone Painter of the Year award.

Chloe Ross, City Building apprentice, said: “It’s so difficult to decide what you want to do when you leave school. There are so many options and there’s a lot of pressure to make the right decision. As a young woman, I hadn’t really considered a career in painting and decorating until I read about Lisa’s success with City Building.

“The apprentice programme is definitely one of the best there is. They don’t just teach you how to use the tools, they show the importance of giving back to the community and offer support outside of work, with classes on subjects like how to effectively manage finances.”

The Glasgow-based firm, which has a track record in promoting social inclusion, has also created training opportunities for young people who have supported needs, with 12% of the new apprentice intake having a learning or physical disability.

Chair of City Building (Glasgow), Cllr Greg Hepburn, was at the Queenslie Training Centre to welcome the new students.

He said: “Glasgow is home to so many bright, ambitious and hardworking young people who, given the right support and opportunities, will go on to forge successful careers.

“Finding the best path can be a daunting task for young people leaving school, but thankfully in Glasgow we have the facilities to accommodate various aspirations – whether it’s university, workplace traineeships or craft apprenticeships.

“In an increasingly competitive world, we are seeing more people swap higher education for apprenticeships. City Building’s training programme is one of the best in the country, currently employing 250 across all four years.

“Its ability to offer full time employment to 97% of those graduating is testament to work being carried out by the training staff and is representative of a firm which is going from strength to strength.”