£25,000 in funding opens doors to construction careers for hundreds of young people across Glasgow

Hundreds of young people in Glasgow will be given the opportunity to explore a career in construction thanks to funding from B&CE’s Charitable Trust¹.

Glasgow Chamber of Commerce (GCC)², has today been named the recipient of the £25,000 Construction Employability Award (CEA) 2025/26³, presented by the Charitable Trust.

The award will help strengthen GCC’s three-year ‘Construction Aware’ programme, delivered in partnership with DYW Glasgow and FARE Scotland, and supported by Landsec and The Wheatley Group. Launched in response to the sharp decline in interest among school pupils considering careers in construction, the initiative was developed alongside some of Scotland’s leading construction organisations, to meet the growing demand from businesses to tackle the construction skills shortage.

The innovative project will bring together employers, schools, and colleges to showcase career opportunities, create routes to employment, and inspire the next generation of talent. The businesses involved will also offer the young people who have been on the programme, interviews for any roles that they have coming up.

Nicola Sinclair, Head of the Charitable Trust, said: “We are proud to support organisations that make a real difference in the construction industry, and this year, we were especially impressed with the calibre of applicants.

“Glasgow Chamber of Commerce stood out for its commitment to bridging the gap between education and employment in construction. The Construction Employability Award is about more than funding – it’s about enabling people to start and sustain meaningful careers in construction.”

Alison McRae, Senior Director at GCC and co-chair of Glasgow’s Employment and Skills Board and DYW Glasgow said:

“We are very grateful to the B&CE Charitable Trust for its grant funding which will allow our team to continue to build and scale our impact across Glasgow. Construction Aware is a pioneering programme, co-designed and delivered with the support of our industry partners, that offers young people work experience opportunities to encourage, motivate and demonstrate that a career in construction is achievable and exciting.

 “The funding will allow us to continue our outreach, working closely with businesses, schools and colleges, to ensure that young people are aware of, and have access to, real career opportunities in construction.”

Now in its 11th year, the award provides £25,000 in funding to a UK-based organisation that demonstrates a strong commitment to accredited training and employability in the construction sector.

Applications for the CEA 2026/27 are set to open in September 2026. Visit the Construction Employability Award web page for further details and to sign up to our newsletter to receive updates. 

ENDS 

Notes to editors

1. B&CE’s Charitable Trust was set up in 1991 to give back to the construction industry by providing help for people working in construction in times of need, including grants towards education, financial support and retraining. It has given out more than £4.6 million in charitable donations over the past 30 years. Over the course of the last decade, the Trust has helped multiple businesses who’ve demonstrated their commitment to improving employability in construction, including mental health and wellbeing, mentoring to disadvantaged young people and youth unemployment. First called the Mowlem Award, the award’s name was changed in 2023 to better reflect the purpose of the award.
2. Since 1783, Glasgow Chamber of Commerce has promoted Glasgow as an excellent place to work, invest and visit. With over 1,000 members, the Chamber supports businesses of all sizes and sectors to achieve more. Whether it is supporting organisations to expand internationally, addressing local labour market needs, driving sustainable economic growth through climate initiatives, or lobbying Government to create the right economic environment to allow its members to flourish.
3. The Construction Employability Award, offered by B&CE’s Charitable Trust, is an annual £25,000 grant given to organisations that can demonstrate they’ll make a significant difference towards training and employability within construction. This grant helps organisations enable new talent in construction. The initiatives these organisations provide include trade-specific training, apprenticeships, and access to skills development. The grant also assists those who offer support around mental wellbeing and personal disadvantages in the workplace.