Scottish Water projects to tap apprentice pool

DOZENS of apprentice and graduate posts are set to be created following confirmation that a third joint venture has secured a major chunk of Scottish Water’s new £3.5 billion investment programme.

Scottish Water has a £3.5 billion investment programme. Picture: Bill Henry

Efficient Service Delivery (ESD) – an alliance between Black & Veatch, Galliford Try and MW Treatment – has been named preferred bidder for design and build projects expected to be worth £560 million over the life of the six-year contract. The agreement covers both new-build and capital upgrades to reservoirs, pumping stations and water treatment works.

As part of the agreement, ESD will take on 15 modern apprentices in the first year, with an additional six in each year thereafter. It will also employ ten graduates in the first year, plus four in each following year.

The news follows last year’s announcement of another major win in the sector for Galliford Try, whose infrastructure arm was part of joint ventures which secured £430m worth of contracts with Southern Water.

Greg Fitzgerald, chief executive of the housebuilding and construction group, welcomed the latest win.

“We are delighted to have secured such a substantial amount of long-term business in a key sector for us,” he said. “We look forward to building on our relationship with Scottish Water and bringing the benefit of our experience of collaboration across the UK water sector to Scottish Water and its customers.”

This is the third joint venture appointed by Scottish Water for its 2015-21 investment programme, which will deliver an array of new assets and upgrades. A further announcement of local contractors around Scotland who will support this programme is expected later this spring.