Third Year Apprentice SHAD event

The day was organised by City Building’s training team as preparation for the apprentices going into their fourth year and spending their time out on site full-time.

The apprentices were welcomed by Andy McGlone, City Building’s Health, Safety & Environmental Manager, where he reiterated the importance of staying safe while carrying out their day-to-day duties at work. They were then given an informative presentation by Professor Roger Willey from ACS on the dangers associated with asbestos. The event finished with the apprentices taking part in various information seminars. These included manual handling refresher course, the importance of PPE and Uniforms, cable and stud locator, working at heights and a tour of the Glasgow House construction site, a joint project with GHA to help eradicate fuel poverty.

City Building is proud to sponsor Glasgow City Ladies FC’s

Local Apprentice Brushes Off Stiff Competition To Scoop Painting Prize

City Building’s John Lockhart (left) with Ken Hopkins, Training & Testing Manager for Johnston Leyland

A second year apprentice, undertaking his training at City Building, has brushed off stiff competition to scoop a significant prize in an event open to students from colleges across Scotland.

John Lockhart (19) from Pollok saw off 15 apprentice painters to win the top prize in the Johnston Leyland Painting Competition after completing a series of technical challenges designed to test his skills and workmanship.

to read more on this story click here

Cartha Rugby Clubs Sevens Youth Development Programme

Apprentices & Coaches at the Cartha Rugby Club

As part of the Citizenship and Healthy Living aspects of our apprenticeship programme, some of our apprentices got the opportunity to receive coaching from the Cartha Rugby Club coaches. City Building sponsors the Cartha Rugby Clubs Sevens Youth Development Programme, which allows our apprentices to use their facilities and test their rugby playing skills.

To view more photographs from the day click here.

RSBi Local History Group

Depute Leader of Glasgow City Council, Councillor Archie Graham joins the staff of the history group and City Building Directorate to launch the book at Learning at Work Day

In January 2008, a team from RSBi took part in a Local History course, which was delivered by the Workers Educational Association (WEA) and funded by Communitas. The aim of the course was to encourage participants to think about history in a different, more personal way.

As a direct result of this, one of the team suggested creating a booklet that would detail the history of RSBi, as well as highlighting its current success, written by the very people who are a part of its success.

On 22 May, as part of National Learning at Work Day, the 15-page RSBi booklet was formally unveiled by the Deputy Leader of Glasgow City Council, Archie Graham, at RSBi’s Springburn premises.

Copies have been distributed around all City Building premises and will be used as an additional marketing tool to encourage future business.

Well done to all the RSBi team for their hard work with this, especially Craig Finnie, Mark Lang, Philip Matthews, Steven McGurk, Audrey McJimpsey and City Building’s Ross Carmichael.

City Building & RSBi launch Braille plaques for blind football supporters

City Building’s Managing Director, Willie Docherty, Celtic’s Johan Mjallby and Robert Mooney from RSBi

The past year has seen the bi-centenary of the birth of Louis Braille, the Frenchman who invented Braille reading for the blind. To commemorate the event, Royal Strathclyde Blindcraft Industries (RSBi) has produced two special commemorative metal plaques that will be fixed to the walls of Celtic Park and Rangers’ Ibrox Stadium. Celtic interim assistant manager Johan Mjallby and Rangers player Kevin Thomson unveiled the plaques recently alongside City Building Managing Director Willie Docherty and RSBi representative Robert Mooney.

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Excellence in Sustainability Sees City Building Short Listed For MJ Local Government Achievement Award

One of Scotland’s largest construction companies has been shortlisted for a major UK-wide government award after demonstrating a clear programme for delivering sustainability initiatives that have produced solid and significant results. Glasgow-based City Building, which employs over 2,000 staff, has secured a place in the final at the MJ Local Government Achievement Awards 2010 in the category of Sustainable Infrastructure Achievement of the Year.

SCDI visits City Building and Blindcraft

Lesley Sawers, Chief Executive and Vince McKeown, Membership Relations Manager, of the Scottish Council for Development and Industry visited City Building and RSBi (Blindcraft) on 20 April to hear how we were performing as a business. As a leading economic development organisation, SCDI is keen to support our successful business model.

Helen Eadie MSP visit to RSBi

Helen Eadie MSP visited RSBi (Blindcraft) on 16 April in her capacity as a member of the Scottish Parliament’s Cross Party Group on Disability, which has a remit to act as a channel of communication between the Scottish Parliament, disabled people and organisations working or supporting disabled people. Helen will ensure that other Members of the Scottish Parliament take the opportunity to visit RSBi (Blindcraft) and push for the introduction of Article 19 into more public contracts.

Employment Tribunal  Amicus –v- GCC and City Building  - Judgement received

You may be aware that UNITE (AMICUS and TGWU) union’s Employment Tribunal against Glasgow City Council and City Building regarding the company’s formation in October 2006 was heard at an Employment Tribunal recently. The unanimous judgment of the Employment Tribunal was that the claims be dismissed and full costs awarded against the Trade Union.

The full findings of the Employment Tribunal are available here by clicking on the link, Employment Tribunal Judgement

Glasgow Chamber of Commerce visit to City Building

Glasgow Chamber of Commerce President, James Andrew and Chief Executive, Stuart Patrick, visited City Building on 13 April to discuss our profits statement (annual surplus) and our strategic goals for the future. They also had a tour of RSBi (Blindcraft) to view the range of quality products manufactured there. They were delighted to hear that our surplus will be distributed to frontline services in Glasgow and, in particular, welcomed the news that Blindcraft has moved into profit.

Councillor Meikle visits RSBi (Blindcraft) and Queenslie Training Centre

Councillor David Meikle recently visited RSBi (Blindcraft) and Queenslie Training Centre to meet some of our apprentices and employees, where he also discussed City Building’s business plan and taking the company forward in the current climate.

Modern Apprentice of the Year 2010

Third year apprentice joiner, Ronson Slater was named “Modern Apprentice of the Year 2010″ at the prestigious Glasgow Trades House event last week.

Ronson from Shettleston, was awarded his title - the most sought after in the Scottish Construction Industry - after demonstrating drive, ambition and motivation towards his apprenticeship, as well as producing an exceptionally high standard of skill and workmanship.

Shaun Lafferty, a fourth year electrician at City Building was named joint runner up.

Willie Docherty, Managing Director at City Building said “Ronson and Shaun are a genuine credit to the company. They are an inspiration to their colleagues and role models for other young, aspiring apprentices.”

Alex Neil MSP, Minister for Housing and Communities, visits Training Centre

Alex Neil, Minister for Housing and Communities, visited Queenslie Training Centre on Monday 5th October for a tour of the facilities, to see for himself what has made it the largest – and most successful – apprenticeship training centre in Scotland.

He spoke to apprentices about their choice of career, their aspirations and hopes for the future and their thoughts on the industry and current job opportunities.

Speaking at his visit to the training centre, Minister Alex Neil said: “Apprenticeships provide young people with vital life skills and I am delighted by the great work and training being provided by City Building.”

Willie Docherty, Managing Director said: “This is a superb opportunity for the Minister to see at first hand, the life long skills our apprentices have the chance to learn here.

We currently have over 500 apprentices in the Glasgow area and our facilities, resources and staff that support the delivery of the training to them are unrivalled. Our success rate in passing out fully qualified, employable and site experienced graduates is unsurpassed and I am extremely proud of what they - and we - have achieved.”

Repairs and Maintenance Contract

Following a full tender process, City Building has been awarded the Repairs and Maintenance contract for all areas of Glasgow.

Repairs are reported via the GHA Customer Service Centre on 0800 479 7979.

We are obviously delighted with this commercial decision by the GHA which builds on our current relationship. We are pleased to provide a first class repairs and maintenance service to GHA customers and we welcome the continuation of that work. Our commitment to excellence in the standard of our work and equally important, it is to reinvest in the communities that we serve by generating employment and providing opportunities for those in our communities.

Let’s go to work!

A new regeneration project worth £27m, which is a partnership between City Building, Alexander Morton Homes and North Glasgow Housing Association was recently unveiled.

A total of 196 homes will be built on the site and will include a mix of two and three bedroom detached, terraced, semi-detached and wheelchair accessible housing.

City Building will construct the house structures using timber kits manufactured at RSBi and a total of 42 manual workers and 20 apprentices will work on the project.

Willie Docherty, Managing Director of City Building said “This project will make a huge difference to the lives of people in the area, not just through improvements to the physical infrastructure, but also through the social legacy that the associated jobs and apprenticeship opportunities will bring. It’s a perfect example of how partnerships between the public and private sector can lead to real benefits for ordinary people”.