1,400 job seekers fight for 140 apprenticeships in Glasgow

Ten job seekers are fighting it out for every apprenticeship in Glasgow, a city construction firm has found.

Defying the housing downturn, City Building today announced it will take on 140 apprentices – but the jobs have already been filled.

The firm, which is affiliated with Glasgow City Council, fielded 1,400 applications from prospective apprentices when it put the call out earlier in the year.

A spokesman for the company said it had been “absolutely bombarded” and would train 140 of the job seekers in its Queenslie Training Centre.

The apprenticeships will mostly be for joiners, plumbers, electricians, painters and some specialist trades such as lift and heating engineers.

Glasgow has more than £4.5bn-worth of construction work planned with projects related to the 2014 Commonwealth Games and completion of the M74.

Glasgow City Council leader Steven Purcell said: “In terms of the Commonwealth Games, the employment legacy and benefits for the people of Glasgow is equally, if not more, important than the development and creation of new homes and facilities.”