Robertson Group’s commitment to addressing the skills shortage in the construction industry has been praised by the Scottish Government’s employability and training minister.

Jamie Hepburn MSP visited the Pennywell regeneration project in Edinburgh, where hundreds of affordable homes are being created by Robertson Partnership Homes for Urban Union.

During the visit he met Laura Docherty, an apprentice working as an assistant site manager for Robertson Partnership Homes and the milestone 100th employee for the business.

The recent growth of Robertson Partnership Homes is a direct result of the decision to carry out trade works, including joinery, plumbing and electrical works. This has led to the employment of 40 joiners, eight apprentices and a number of general managers responsible for overseeing specific regions.

The minister also learned about the wider regeneration of Pennywell and Muirhouse, which is also being delivered by Robertson Partnership Homes. The project includes affordable housing, retail space and a civic square.

Employability minister Jamie Hepburn said: “Congratulations to Robertson Partnership Homes who have actively taken steps to address the skills gaps they have identified within their business.

“This is exactly the type of approach that is benefitting our economy and is in line with the Scottish Government’s commitment to making sure our skills system is aligned with employer needs.

“The Scottish Government continues to invest significantly in work based learning and is enhancing and diversifying our apprenticeship programmes, including building on the early success of Graduate Level Apprenticeships. We are on course to meet our target of 30,000 new starts each year by 2020 while our Flexible Workforce Development Fund is offering opportunities to up-skill and re-skill existing employees.”