AN ANNUAL award given to Dundee City Council’s Construction Services Apprentice of the Year has been picked up this year by a roofer.
Ruaraidh Harris, in his second year as a built-up flat roofer, was presented with the Bill McKay Trophy on Wednesday (January 24).
Second year electrician, Paddy Boyle was the 2024 runner-up in the competition which recognises the apprentice who has achieved the best results at college and work during their apprenticeship.
The trophy itself was donated in memory of the late Bill McKay, deputy director of Public Works (now part of the council’s neighbourhood services) from 1984 to 1993.
Mark Flynn, convener of Dundee City Council’s neighbourhood regeneration, housing and estate management committee said: “Congratulations are due to Ruaraidh for winning this year’s award and to Paddy for being runner up.
“It takes a lot of hard work to get this level of recognition from your peers and skilled trades people, both at college and on the tools with us.
“But I am sure that Ruaraidh and Paddy are not the only hard-working apprentices in construction services who are putting in the effort, not just to learn a trade for themselves but to help the people of the city to ensure that their homes and buildings meet the highest possible standards.”
Deputy convener Lynne Short, who also attended the prize-giving added: “Construction services play a key role in the council and apprentices and other recruits can pick up valuable skills and opportunities through their roles.
“The council’s apprenticeship schemes, as a whole, contributes to helping our city’s young people reach their full potential.”
Dundee City Council
Dundee draws skilled workers from a 60-minute catchment population of 640,000 and has a local population of over 140,000. The availability of a large pool of highly skilled labour is a key feature in the Dundee economy. Flexibility in the labour force is currently more prevalent in Dundee than in Scotland as a whole. All forms of labour market flexibility - part-time, temporary employment, self-employment and shift work - are widely operational within the city. Labour force stability in the city is excellent, enabling companies to plan with confidence. Labour turnover levels are less than 5% and absenteeism averages 2%.
