A new housing development in Glasgow’s East End is giving a local teenager the chance to build his own career in construction.
Shettleston Housing Association, Glasgow-based affordable housing developer Lovell and youth charity Action for Children Scotland joined forces to arrange the opportunity for 18-year-old Peter Phinn.
Peter, who lives in Glasgow’s East End has been employed by Lovell to work full-time on the new development of 29 flats which the company is building for Shettleston Housing Association in Fernan Street, Shettleston.
“My goal is to make this my career,” said Peter. “Gaining a trade will get me a better future and will mean I always have something to fall back on. It’s great to be working on a large housing development and building up my industry experience.”
Peter is employed as a general labourer and is also having the chance to try his hand at specialist trades such as bricklaying and joinery.
Shettleston have previously worked with contractors to give youngsters from the East End the chance of training and experience in the construction sector. Shettleston’s director Chris Cunningham welcomed this latest opportunity for Peter. “It’s very important that we train for the future and I’m delighted that Peter has obtained this opportunity. Developing skills and gaining experience at an early age can set a young person up for life and I hope that Peter is able to take the knowledge he gains with Lovell in Shettleston to get on in the industry. We wish him all the best.”
Maria Williamson, children’s services manager at Action for Children Scotland, said, “I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate Peter on his success. He certainly made the most of every opportunity our Youthbuild programme gave him, mastering new construction skills and proving himself as a reliable and dedicated worker.
“Youthbuild is incredibly successful; around 70 per cent of participants secure work after completing the programme. We couldn’t offer young people the same level of hands-on experience without the support of the construction industry, so I would like to thank Lovell for giving Peter this opportunity. He has gained invaluable knowledge and experience from all the tradesmen on site and, with their support, is carving out a career for himself.”
Lovell site manager Gil Lawrie added, “Peter is very keen and is making the most of the opportunity to work under the supervision of our specialist trades professionals on site so he can develop his skills and find out what he most enjoys doing. As a company, our focus is on providing training and jobs for people living in the areas where we work wherever possible as part of our Lovell Legacy commitment to creating lasting benefits for communities.”
Lovell began work in December 2014 on the two-storey development of 29 amenity flats for social rent for residents aged 55 and over in Fernan Street. The energy-efficient new homes are arranged around a private, landscaped courtyard with the development also featuring parking and communal gardens.
