A LUXURY house building company is holding regular courses with teenagers to teach the the tricks and trade of the construction industry.
Robertson Homes is supporting a new building skills course for young people at The Ridge Foundations in Dunbar, East Lothian after donating materials to help teenagers get into the construction industry.
The Stirling based house builder started the weekly course with the first 30 students from senior 3 classes teaching them masonry and joinery skills to help get them into the construction industry.
The Ridge is a social enterprise and runs a range of training and support for people who live in Dunbar and the surrounding area from its High Street base.
The course will see students gain practical skills in masonry and joinery in the hope they will continue their interest in the trade.
The house builders will be working in Dunbar for the next three- four years where they hope to pick up apprentices to train for a full time job with the company.
They will providing engaging opportunities for the young people on the course that will allow them to understand and see what a full construction operation looks like.
Robertson Homes Managing Director John Murphy said: “It was inspiring to see the work that has already been done building the outside work stations for the masonry skills and the joinery workshop and then to meet the young people and see their enthusiasm.
“Learning practical skills and then being able to directly use those skills on a project is very rewarding.”
Fourteen-year-old Bailey Buchan is one of the students selected to take part and he said: “It sounded like a good opportunity and something I wanted to do.
“I have never worked with stone before but I am enjoying it. If I keep going at it and get good then I think it could get me somewhere. Its learning a craft.”
