A group of 40 Dundee students were invited by Robertson to gain experience on a live major construction site as part of Scottish Apprenticeship Week.

The students from Dundee and Angus College were invited to the site of the new Harris Academy, being delivered by Robertson, to learn about the scale of the project and the various types of skills required to bring it to life.

The group is currently completing their National Progression Award. Most of the students had not stepped foot on a live site before, especially one this large.

The £30 million Harris Academy project is due to be completed in spring 2016.

“Staff across all the curriculum areas at D&A College encourage field trips of this sort,” said a college spokesperson.

“The students taking part will gain a lot from visiting a live construction site. We are delighted to be working in partnership with Robertson.”

The visit is part of a number of community engagement events Robertson is holding across Scotland during Apprenticeship Week to encourage young people to consider a career in construction and engineering.

More events are being held in Glasgow, Edinburgh, Brechin and Stirling including a ‘lab in a lorry’, a mathematics in engineering workshop and recruitment events. Some of the activities will also be supported by the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB).

Robertson was recently recognised by the Considerate Constructors Scheme (CCS) for its Harris Academy site which received a Gold Award for effectively engaging the local community throughout its development.

The activities are part of the business’ wider Young People Strategy, which has already engaged with more than 3,000 individuals in 2015. The programme aims to address the skills shortage in the Scottish construction industry by increasing awareness amongst younger people of the diverse range of job opportunities available.

Gemma Nicoll, community development manager at Robertson, said: “We are proactively working to tackle the skills gap in the industry and an ideal way to do so is by inviting young people to get a taste of what actually happens on a Robertson construction site.

“Despite being interested in construction, many of these students have not yet had the opportunity to visit a live site. We hope activities like today’s will encourage them to continue to pursue their interest in the industry.

“We have lots more engagement events planned for 2015 with schools, colleges and universities across Scotland.”