As Scotland gets set to celebrate National Apprenticeship Week (29 February), two school leavers are celebrating the start of their own ‘apprenticeships’ with BAM Construction.

It’s been a case of ‘back to school’, however, for one of the former pupils, Annie Davies. Last year’s Deputy Head Girl at Waid Academy in Anstruther, Annie has started work as a trainee site manager on BAM’s Waid Community Campus project. When completed in 2017, this will become the new home of her former school.

Joining Annie at Waid is eighteen year old Jai Thomson, a former pupil from the neighbouring Buckhaven High School, who has been appointed a trainee project surveyor.

As well as learning on the job, both Annie and Jai are also fully funded by BAM as part time students at Napier University in Edinburgh where Annie is studying for a degree in Construction and Project Management and Jai is studying Quantity Surveying.

Commenting on her new career Annie said: “I was indecisive about what I wanted to do and was in the process of applying for a full time university place when the opportunity with BAM came up and was too good to miss. I absolutely love it. I think it’s a great opportunity and I would encourage pupils to seriously consider an apprenticeship.”

Sharing a similar sentiment, Jai added: “I would definitely recommend an apprenticeship. You get the career you want without any of the debt and what you learn at university you get to put into practice on site the next day, not years later.”

Doug Keillor, regional director Scotland, BAM Construction said: “We have an active schools programme where we provide information to pupils highlighting the variety of career opportunities available in the construction industry and each year we offer pupils across Scotland the chance to take part in our apprenticeship programme. Annie and Jai were very enthusiastic in their interviews and demonstrated great potential. Since they have started on site they have shown a terrific willingness to learn and have fitted right into our team.”

The new £18m Waid Community Campus, which is being delivered on behalf of Fife Council through hub east central Scotland, will feature community facilities on the ground floor including the police, library, fitness suite and council offices. The school will be located within the upper two floors which will accommodate 800 pupils and include a feature atrium with an open plan stage and drama studio. The new facility is scheduled to open in June 2017.

BAM Construction has a strong track record of school construction across Scotland including Burntisland Primary, Auchmuty and Dunfermline High Schools and Levenmouth Super-Campus in Fife, along with recent primary and secondary school projects for East Renfrewshire, Renfrew and Perth and Kinross.