GMG are proud to be supporting Scottish Apprenticeship Week 2022, which is coordinated by Skills Development Scotland, to show the value of Scottish Apprenticeships to people, business and the economy.
This year’s theme is “Apprenticeships Work” and it has the aim of highlighting how apprenticeships are providing the skills employers need now and for the future.
GMG are a dynamic and progressive employer who currently have 27 apprentices under their wing. The company believe that there should be no negative destination for young people.
Scottish Apprenticeship Week is the time for all those in Scotland benefiting from apprenticeships to join together and share their stories to encourage others to get involved, and we are delighted to showcase the talent we are nurturing.
Gerry McGinn, CEO of GMG Contractors, said: “GMG are very passionate about investing in youth employment and giving everyone an equal opportunity, regardless of their background.
“This has been clearly demonstrated by the 30-plus years we have been training apprentices.
“Without collectively training youth, there is no future for our industry.
“At GMG, we worked with South Lanarkshire College to develop a two-year tailored apprenticeship for roofing that allows apprentices to be time-served in 24 months.
“This approach has helped us with the skills shortage and we are currently looking at a similar approach in relation to insulation apprenticeships.”
John McGinley, Curriculum Manager at South Lanarkshire College, added: “We have been working alongside GMG Contractors for decades now.
“Their foresight and commitment to apprenticeship training has been fantastic to see and rewarding for all involved.
“Going forward, we continue to work closely in not only facilitating current new entrants but developing courses to meet future demands of the industry.
“We are certainly looking forward to working together for many more years.”
Derek Gray, Scottish Committee Chair of INCA, said: “INCA are proud to announce that GMG have achieved a landmark number of apprentices being trained within Scotland, at Year 1 to Year 3 level – a phenomenal result.”
Name: Alex Nimmo
Age: 17
Tell us a fun fact about you: I enjoy playing football
What course ae you doing? Roofing Apprenticeship
Do you enjoy earning while learning? Yes I think it is a good alternative to full-time education, which gives real life experience while learning your trade.
Why did you choose this course? I wanted to leave school and experience a new challenge.
Do you have a good network of support at work to ensure you reach your full potential? Yes I feel like my squad is very supportive of me and want me to grow as much as I can in this job.
What are your long term career aspirations? I want to become the best roofer I can be and gain all relevant qualifications along the way.
Name: David Manners
Age: 17
Tell us a fun fact about you: I enjoy playing and watching football in my spare time.
What course ae you doing? Roofing Apprenticeship
Do you enjoy earning while learning? I think it is important to earn while I learn at such a young age. It gives me good real-life experience, which will benefit me in the future.
Why did you choose this course? It was a good opportunity for a lifelong career, which I could go into straight from school.
Do you have a good network of support at work to ensure you reach your full potential? I have a good support network at GMG, which includes my tradesman, project managers and line managers who support my learning – specially my tradesman who always makes sure I am doing my best at work.
What are your long-term career aspirations? I want to become the best roofer I can be and gain all relevant qualifications along the way.
Name: Elis Cappie
Age: 21
Tell us a fun fact about you: I’m also a qualified dancer and coach.
What course are you doing? MSc Quantity Surveying 2022-2023.
Do you enjoy earning while learning? Yes, I find it very beneficial to be learning while I work in a practical environment. It gives me a feel for the reality of the career and what to expect in my future while I am working towards my degree. Working while studying gives me a head start and a good foundation to build upon in the university environment.
Why did you choose this course? I have worked at GMG since 2019. I began as an Administrative Assistant before being given a fantastic opportunity to train as a Quantity Surveyor. Once I discovered how much I enjoyed this, I applied for my course at Glasgow Caledonian University and now strive to pursue a career in this field.
Do you have a good network of support at work to ensure you reach your full potential? I have a fantastic support network at GMG, where I was given my own mentor throughout my training. I have the benefit of shadowing my mentor in day-to-day life on the job, which allows me to understand all aspects of the career in a live setting and gives me a strong basis of experience on the job to build upon throughout my studies. I am also generally surrounded with great colleagues and managers who I feel I can go to with anything at all.
What are your long-term career aspirations? I aspire to graduate in 2023 with my Master’s in Quantity Surveying, then go on to pursue a successful career in this field with GMG.
Name: Joseph Travers
Age: 18
Tell us a fun fact about you: I enjoy following my football team all over Scotland.
What course are you doing? External Roughcast/Render/EWI Apprenticeship.
Do you enjoy earning while learning? I enjoy earning while learning my trade – it is more practical for me than being at college full-time. I think it is also beneficial to learn a trade on a live job than in a classroom, as it gives you essential real-life experience of the job and allows you to overcome any obstacles which will then make you a better tradesman in the future.
Why did you choose this course? I chose to do this course, as it was a good opportunity to take straight from school to ensure I have a good future trade which I enjoy and a sense of security with a great company.
Do you have a good network of support at work to ensure you reach your full potential? I have a good squad made up from two tradesmen and two apprentices who always support me. They make sure we are comfortable with what we are doing but also that we are constantly learning new things on the job to make us reach our full potential.
What are your long-term career aspirations? I want to be a fully qualified Roughcaster/EWI installer tradesman with my own squad.
Name: Ryan Nelson
Age: 19
Tell us a fun fact about you: I enjoy watching and playing football in my spare time.
What course are you doing? Roofing Apprenticeship.
Do you enjoy earning while learning? I think earning while I am learning is a brilliant way to get practical experience in my trade, which will help me with my career in the future while also earning an income.
Why did you choose this course? To ensure I have a good trade lined up for me at the end of my apprenticeship.
Do you have a good network of support at work to ensure you reach your full potential? I feel like I can speak to anyone in the company – my tradesman always makes sure I am happy at work and learning new things.
What are your long-term career aspirations? I want to become a fully qualified tradesman and have my own squad here at GMG, where I feel I can strive.
