With over two decades of experience providing employability and skills services, RTW has established a strong reputation as a leader in employability within North Lanarkshire. One of the core components of our services is supporting clients to transform their lives by gaining important skills necessary to progress and succeed in their chosen career. We believe that apprenticeships are an excellent means to achieve this goal, and through collaborative efforts with partners and employers in North Lanarkshire, we are proud to have supported 51 clients in securing apprenticeships this year.
Our partnership with DMG Services Group Ltd is particularly noteworthy as they actively support local residents in gaining access to roofing apprenticeships, creating opportunities for young people to kickstart their careers. DMG recently opened their local training centre at Strathclyde Business Park, Bellshill, and in celebration of Scottish Apprenticeship Week, held an open day for partners to witness their outstanding work first-hand.
RTW works closely with DMG to provide our clients with access to their apprenticeships, and we are thrilled to have met Kyle Burns, a former client at RTW who secured a permanent apprenticeship opportunity with DMG. Kyle shared, "I started from knowing nothing about the trade, so an apprenticeship was the perfect opportunity for me, and thanks to RTW and DMG, I was given the chance to learn with full on-the-job support from Darren and Kev. DMG is a great place to work; we are a good team and have become close friends."
Our attendance at the open day, along with other partners such as DYW LED Regional Team (Development of the Young Workforce), Hub South West Scotland, NFRC (National Federation of Roofing Contractors), and staff and students from Buchanan High School, demonstrated the collective commitment to invest in our community, address skills shortages, and showcase the exceptional work being done in North Lanarkshire.
The NFRC’s Head of Careers, Ruth Scarrott, expressed pride in attending the positive event, stating, "Events like this showcase what investing in your community looks like and with these opportunities we can address skills shortages together."
Mark Houston from Hub South West Scotland endorsed everything DMG is doing for young people, saying, "Darren and DMG are making a real tangible difference, filling an essential gap to give young people the practical and interpersonal skills that they need. These are the essential skills employers are looking for and will set these young people up for their career in the roofing industry and construction in general. Allowing them earn while they learn is fantastic to see."
Anna Cairney from DYW LED Regional Team expressed delight in collaborating with DMG Services Group again to share their open day opportunity with schools and young people, stating “What a great gesture by DMG to open their doors to their academy of roofing and showcase the talents of their apprenticeship team, #scotappweek23."
Kerry and Darren McGhee, Managing Directors of DMG Services Group, shared with us, “It’s been a great event to celebrate the learning journey of the apprentices we are so proud of.”
At RTW, we are proud to have worked with DMG to provide our clients with life-changing opportunities, and we look forward to continuing our collaboration to support more young people in transforming their lives through skills development and apprenticeships.