Mitchell Hughes, from Cardonald, is among 60 new apprentices recently appointed by the Glasgow-based construction firm. The 16-year-old showed a keen football talent from a young age; however, his world was turned upside down in 2021 when at the age of 15 he suffered a traumatic head injury after he took a header on the football pitch.

The incident resulted in three mental plates being fitted in Mitchell’s skull and a warning from the acting neurosurgeon that the accident would have been fatal if he had reached the hospital a mere 10 minutes later. Mitchell experienced poor memory and balance issues after his surgery and now suffers severe pain, particularly when flying due to the pressure. He additionally has a large facial scar following his injury.

He said: “I think sometimes people see a young guy and think the scar is because of something bad, so I am happy to talk to them about what happened. I am proud of my scar – it’s a reminder of what I survived!”

While Mitchell continues to play football, his desire to play the sport professionally diminished following the incident. After attending a pre-apprenticeship course at Cardonald College, he realised his new passion was plumbing.

He added: “I was buzzing to get an apprenticeship at City Building! I’m really excited to get started and learn the ins and outs of the trade from the best.”

City Building, which is one of the largest employers of apprentices in Scotland, recently welcomed its 2022 cohort of apprentices to the organisation’s new, custom-built training college in Springburn. Its four-year training course focuses on upskilling the next generation in both traditional craft trade skills and emerging sustainable techniques.

Councillor Alex Kerr, chair, City Building (Glasgow) LLP, said: “Congratulations to all our successful candidates joining City Building as apprentices. The business has a great track record of developing the next generation and many apprentices are retained after they have acquired their qualifications.

“The construction industry needs fresh talent more than ever. The skills our new apprentices learn will be crucial to making our buildings more sustainable and achieving Glasgow’s ambitions of becoming net zero.”

Another apprentice in the new intake whose path to City Building was prompted by football is 17-year-old Alexander McAuley. Alexander, who is specialising in plumbing, joined the firm following a course at the Celtic Foundation, which works with young people from disadvantaged backgrounds to help them access a brighter future through a mixture of mental health support, football training, and educational courses.

Alexander was attracted to construction after being encouraged to take part in a National Progression Award at Glasgow Kelvin College. He applied to City Building after receiving strong support from his team members.

“For the first time, I felt like I was part of a unit. It was a turning point for me,” he said.

“I was over the moon when I found out that I got onto the apprenticeship course at City Building. Everyone in my family was very proud. I think it goes to show that no matter the circumstances if you don’t give up you will get there in the end.”