The business has welcomed 18 trade apprentices for 2019. In addition to modern apprenticeship roles, this brings the number of apprentices employed across CCG’s group of companies to 70, representing 10% of the entire workforce.

A total of six joiners, five bricklayers, five plumbers and two electricians will commence their industry-recognised, four-year programme this month and will be immediately based on live projects.

CCG’s primary market is in the delivery of new build affordable housing and over the last 18 months, the firm has established a solid pipeline of contracts past 2021.

Operating across the central belt, CCG aims to ensure the business is embedded in the communities that it operates, and always has a strong local focus. CCG actively works with colleges including Glasgow Clyde College, South Lanarkshire College and Ayrshire College, to attract local apprentices.

The importance of employing from within the communities in which the company operates is very important to CCG chairman and CEO, Alastair Wylie.

He said: “The current uncertainty surrounding the UK economy is challenging for all businesses but CCG is doing as much as we can to prepare and mitigate any negative impacts to our business. We have worked hard to secure a sustained pipeline of contracts and in doing so, this will allow us to fulfil our obligations as a contractor that values our people, our clients and our communities.

“Investment, particularly in skills replenishment, will continue year-in-year-out and the importance of doing this from within communities – which includes apprenticeships as well as curriculum support and work placements – cannot be understated. It is crucial that we continue to invest in our young people.”

Alongside established apprenticeship programmes, CCG also has an extensive range of trainee programmes covering site management, health and safety, quantity surveying, estimating, buying and timber frame design.

In 2019, seven people graduated from their respective programmes into a full-time job with the company including quantity surveyor Lyle Musuraca. Age 22, Lyle joined CCG straight from school and qualified as a quantity surveyor while working at CCG and attending university part-time.

Speaking about his experiences, Lyle said: “I didn’t even know you could go to university part-time until I received the job offer from CCG. But I would always recommend it. I don’t think I would have seen university out without attending in this manner. I think that it allows you to reinforce any learning you do at university almost instantly. You are also working with people that have been working within the role for many years, and you see yourself picking stuff up all the time. You come out the end not just with a degree but also five years of experience.”

Mr Wylie added: “Our trainee staff – indeed all of our staff – are performing very well. Our ethos of putting ‘quality first’ is engrained at every level of our business and we want to strive to do more, to continue to push boundaries, and this starts with the quality of our workforce.”