AN ANNUAL award given to Dundee City Council’s Construction Services Apprentice of the Year has been picked up this year by an electrician.
Lee Millar, in the second year of his apprenticeship , was presented with the Bill McKay Trophy on Wednesday (January 24).
Second year painter, Caitlin Vannet was the 2025 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.
Lynne Short, deputy convener of Dundee City Council’s neighbourhood regeneration, housing and estate management committee who attended the prize-giving said: “A big well done to Lee for picking up this year’s award and to Cailin for a tremendous second place.
“We should never underestimate the amount of hard work it takes for a young person to get this level of recognition from their peers and skilled trades people, both at college and on the tools.
“Lee and Caitlin are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to hard-working apprentices in construction services putting in the effort to learn a trade for themselves, and with it helping the people of the city get their homes and buildings to the highest possible standards.”
Lee picked up the winners' plaque and a tool voucher for £125, while Caitlin took home the runner up plaque and a tool voucher for £75.
Cllr Short, added: “Apprentices and other recruits can pick up valuable skills and opportunities through their roles with Construction services, which plays a major role in the council.
“The council’s apprenticeship schemes, as a whole, contribute to helping our 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%.
