Marking Scottish Apprenticeship Week, Balfour Beatty's Head of Social Impact, Naila Akram, has highlighted how Balfour Beatty is transforming the landscape for apprentices across Scotland
Naila Akram said: "As a member of The 5% Club, we have long been leading the charge in attracting, training and retaining the next generation of talent; investing in and adapting our apprenticeship programmes to further enhance our offering. We want to provide our future leaders with the best possible start to their careers.
"Across the UK, we now have 6.1% of our workforce in ‘earn and learn positions', exceeding our charter promise to the Club and have publicly declared our intention to increase the number of apprentices, graduates and trainees by c. 60%, compared to last years' intake. But despite the significant progress we have made over the last few years, we must not rest on our laurels. We must continue to ensure that our training is as accessible as possible.
"As part of our push to encourage new entrants to the industry, we have recently taken the opportunity to update and grow our virtual work experience capability and have successfully carried out a series of online programmes across Scotland – providing regular live-streamed webinars and research projects for our participants to complete.
"Our new, bespoke online learning platform enables young people to go beyond theoretical learning and discover new roles and careers within our industry, including Health and Safety, Sustainability and IT.
"Whilst the work we have done to upgrade our virtual capabilities has set us in good stead going forward, it has also allowed us to connect with young people across Scotland living in rural settings as well as those who may have previously found access to education challenging.
"By working alongside organisations such as Equate Scotland, Skills Development Scotland and Enable, we are continually seeking to engage with underrepresented groups and ensure that our opportunities are available to all.
"For example, through our partnership with Equate Scotland – who aim to make a positive difference for women working in, entering or studying science, technology, engineering, and maths - we have mentored many upcoming female engineers and have worked closely with young women in primary and secondary schools to inspire those to consider a career in the construction and infrastructure industry.
"We've also been working with Skills Development Scotland to deliver apprenticeship events. Through their Equalities partnership, we've reached numerous BAME groups to arm them with the tools and information they require to help them get their foot on the career ladder. We're also hosting our first work placement with Enable Works, to support young people with learning disabilities.
"We're really pleased with the progress we're making at Balfour Beatty, but we recognise that more can always be done. That's why throughout Scottish Apprenticeship Week, we'll be running numerous Virtual Work Experience programmes, and we've even extended access to schools and colleges across the UK to further promote the plethora of exciting opportunities that lie within our industry.
"We know that our industry provides exciting, life-long careers and with some of the most exciting infrastructure schemes the UK has ever seen on the horizon, I can't think of a better time to join."
Construction News
10/03/2022
Balfour Beatty 'Transforming The Landscape For Apprentices'


03/04/2025
The long-anticipated transformation of Glasgow's iconic George Square is poised to take a significant step forward, with preparatory works commencing in the coming weeks. From 14 April, hoardings will begin to be erected around the perimeter of the city's central civic space, marking the start of it

03/04/2025
Glasgow-based construction firm CCG has secured a place on a significant £380 million framework for planned maintenance works for Scottish councils and housing associations.
The PfH Scotland’s Planned Works Framework will run for four years and includes 38 contractors.
The framework is divided in

03/04/2025
Clark Contracts has successfully completed two projects for NHS Ayrshire & Arran, involving refurbishment works at The Scholars in Kilmarnock and the construction of an extension to Stewarton Medical Practice.
The first project saw the transformation of an existing residential property in Kilmarnoc

03/04/2025
An initiative co-founded by ScottishPower during the COP26 climate summit in Glasgow in 2021 has been honoured with the 'Net Zero Heroes' award at the annual Centre of Engineering Education & Development (CeeD) Awards.
The Scottish Business Climate Collaboration (SBCC), established by ScottishPower

03/04/2025
A total of 63 community projects across Aberdeenshire, Angus, Perth and Kinross, and Clackmannanshire have each received up to £5,000 through SSEN Transmission's East Coast 400kV Overhead Line Upgrade Local Fund.
The £252,000 awarded represents the first distribution from what is expected to becom

03/04/2025
A major Scottish Water operation in Edinburgh has provided a rare glimpse of a colossal piece of machinery vital to the city's wastewater infrastructure. The publicly-owned utility has successfully installed a nine-tonne screw pump into a deep underground chamber as part of a £5 million upgrade to t

03/04/2025
Knight Property Group has achieved a double victory at the 2025 CoStar Impact Awards, securing both the Scottish Sale of the Year and Lease of the Year titles.
The company's £40 million sale of Belgrave Logistics Park in Bellshill to Swiss Life was recognised as Scotland's Sale of the Year. Judges

03/04/2025
A significant new transport infrastructure project, the New Kingsway and Destiny Bridge, designed to alleviate congestion in Perth city centre, has officially opened.
The ribbon-cutting ceremony on Monday 31 March was led by First Minister John Swinney, Perth and Kinross Council Leader Councillor

02/04/2025
Wheatley Homes Glasgow has announced consultation events on its proposed £100 million regeneration plans for Wynford.
The extensive redevelopment project aims to construct hundreds of new, energy-efficient family homes, with 85% designated for social rent and 15% for mid-market rent. The plans also

02/04/2025
Peel Ports Group has announced the appointment of 18 contractors to its new construction framework, which covers a significant programme of works across its UK and Ireland sites, potentially worth up to £750 million.
The port operator has established a multi-lot framework spanning up to eight years