MSP becomes an apprentice for the day

Lovell recently offered a visiting MSP the opportunity to take the role of ‘apprentice’ to help him gain first-hand knowledge of the work and responsibilities involved.

Gordon Lindhurst, a Lothian Region MSP, was at Lovell’s Wester Inch development, currently under construction in Bathgate, at an event arranged by Skills Development Scotland. It was a part of its Apprentice for the Day initiative, which gets MSPs to shadow apprentices in order to appreciate the hard work they do and their contribution to the Scottish economy.

Here, Lindhurst shadowed apprentice joiners, second-year Jay Baker and new recruit Zach Brown, who were being instructed and supervised by subcontractor M&G Joinery. The team was undertaking second fix works on the 86-unit development, which is being constructed for West Lothian Council.

He said: “I thoroughly enjoyed being an apprentice for the day and trying my hand at something a bit different to my daily work as an MSP. Jay and Zach are two very talented joiners and it was great to learn from them on the job. Their skills are hugely valuable for Scotland and its economy, where there is a real need for an ambitious housebuilding programme, including affordable homes.”

While onsite, Lindhurst was given a guided tour of the development and met other members of the team working on it. “I’d like to thank Lovell and Skills Development Scotland for giving me the opportunity to learn more about work in this vital sector,” he added.

Kevin McColgan, interim regional director at Lovell, thank the MSP for his visit, saying: “We were pleased to be able to give him the chance to experience life as an apprentice joiner working as part of our talented team. We hope he enjoyed trying his hand at a different trade and has gained insight into the value our apprentices Jay and Zach bring to the site.”

Katie Hutton, director of national training programmes at Skills Development Scotland, commented: “The Apprentice for the Day challenge is a great opportunity to highlight the important role which work-based learning plays in Scotland’s economy. Employers benefit from the programme just as much as the apprentices themselves, as they are able to access and train talent to suit their business needs. There has never been a better time to get involved with apprenticeships.”