The Minister for Higher and Further Education visited a construction training centre in Renfrewshire to mark Scottish Apprenticeship Week.
Ben Macpherson MSP toured the National Construction College in Inchinnan, Renfrew, on Wednesday, 4th March 2026. The visit was organised by the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) as part of the national awareness week, which runs from 2nd to 6th March.
During the visit, the Minister met apprentices and watched them take part in practical training at the college.
CITB said it helps recruit around 1,500 apprentices in Scotland each year and provided more than £22 million in apprenticeship grants to employers during the 2024–25 financial year.
The organisation’s latest Construction Workforce Outlook report states that the Scottish construction industry will need nearly 18,000 additional workers between 2025 and 2029.
Figures from Skills Development Scotland also show that more than 6,500 people began a construction apprenticeship in Scotland during the 2024–25 financial year.
Ben Macpherson MSP said: “It was great to visit the National Construction College to see first-hand the high-quality training CITB provides to apprentices from across Scotland. It is undoubtedly clear that construction apprenticeships are so important, both now and for the future – to Scotland’s housing provision, building quality, national infrastructure, and transition to net zero.
“The Scottish Government is investing £198 million in apprenticeships this year, which is helping to support organisations like the CITB and NCC. This investment will help to ensure that young people are equipped with skills for life and that we build the workforce that Scotland needs for a sustainable and prosperous future.”
Kirsty Evans, Executive Director for Education and Training at CITB, said: “With nearly 13,000 construction businesses in Scotland employing over 200,000 people, the construction industry plays a vital role in the Scottish economy. It was wonderful that the Minister was able to visit the NCC in Scotland to meet many of the apprentices we support and see first-hand the high-quality training they receive to learn skills for life.”
Ian Hughes, Engagement Director for Scotland at CITB, said: “With so many courses on offer at NCC Inchinnan, there’s no better place in Scotland for apprentices to get trained, and the Minister got to see many of them in action. It was a great way to celebrate Scottish Apprenticeship Week. We offer plenty of support to help employers navigate the skills system, including our New Entrant Support Team, which makes finding, recruiting and retaining an apprentice or new entrant easier. So, we encourage Scottish construction employers to get in touch with us about how we can support them and their training and skills needs.”
Scottish Apprenticeship Week is organised to highlight the role apprenticeships play in developing skills and supporting the workforce.
Headline photo: Minister for Higher and Further Education Ben Macpherson MSP with apprentices and staff during a visit to the CITB National Construction College in Inchinnan during Scottish Apprenticeship Week
Photo Credit: Peter Devlin