Building For The Future In lochaber

Local construction companies were invited on Friday 10th June to Lochaber High School to see for themselves where their future apprentices might start out from. 

The Highland Council has built a construction training facility within Lochaber High School so that third and fourth year pupils can learn practical skills such as joinery, painting and decorating and bricklaying.

The qualifications that pupils will achieve can lead directly on to Scottish vocational qualifications giving them a head start if they go on to apply for jobs in the industry.  The courses will be delivered by Inverness College.

This development has been funded through ‘Determined to Succeed’, Scottish Executive’s initiative which aims to provide vocational learning opportunities on the curriculum to all pupils over the age of fourteen, and to offer an enterprise experience to all pupils from Primary 1 to Secondary 6.

Moira Forsyth, Business Development Officer with Highland Council’s Determined to Succeed team, said: “Many pupils in Highland are travelling to Inverness or North Highland College for vocational courses.  However, in areas distant from college that isn’t feasible.  We’re therefore delighted to be able now to offer construction training directly to Lochaber based pupils.”

With the support of Construction Skills, the Sector Skills Council for the industry, employers were invited to lunch, and to speak to pupils who have already started training.