Apprentices are building the future as we focus on decarbonisation mcg

Apprentices are the future of the building services industry, and it’s a marker of our ambition that we’re investing heavily in the leaders of the future.

Building a more sustainable infrastructure for our country is one of the government’s goals, but the actual work will be done by those of us in the building services and decarbonisation industries. And yet, few business owners in my network seem to be planning for the future by investing in the next generation.

Peers I talk to are generally worrying about the same things right now; how they’re going to grow their business, reskill staff for decarbonisation contracts, or even just complete the jobs they’ve got to a high standard, given how difficult the recruitment situation is. Astonishingly, when I ask how many apprentices they’ll be taking on this year, the answer is usually 1, 2, or worst of all, none. It seems to be that lots of short-term troubleshooting is taking place, but few long-term solutions are being implemented.

We’re bucking the trend at McGill and across the United Capital group as a whole. Apprentices have always been vital to us and our sister companies – that’s why we already employ more than 50 young people across the country – and we’re becoming ever more intentional about how we train the best tradespeople and leaders in the industry.

Our group has truly hit its stride now, and we’re targeting the largest and most ambitious decarbonisation projects in the country; these are long-term contracts which require huge amounts of skilled people. That’s why we’re putting plans into place for the United Capital Apprenticeship Academy. It’s our responsibility to give all of our young people a broad education in the industry, as much hands-on experience as they can handle, and the chance to build a career for life.

The reality is that there’s been a recruitment crisis in building services for a long time, and it’s only going to worsen as the entire industry needs to pivot to renewables and decarbonisation. We’re already ahead of the curve when it comes to shaping the future of our group through a thriving apprenticeship programme. As we head into Scottish Apprenticeship Week, it’s time for all business leaders to secure their long-term success by investing in young people, and maximising all of the gifts that they bring

 

McGill Facilities Management Limited

Your main contractor in building services and construction, serving Scotland for 40 years. McGill is a building services and construction contractor, serving public sector and commercial clients. With our-all trades expertise, we commit to delivering large-scale contracts, on time, on budget, and to the highest quality standards.

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