STATE-owned Scottish Water has announced that dozens of apprentices and graduates will be recruited around the country by the consortium selected as preferred bidder for a major chunk of its £3.5 billion investment programme.
Scottish Water announced yesterday that ESD (Efficient Service Delivery), which is a joint venture between Galliford Try, MWH Treatment and Black & Veatch, had been selected as the preferred bidder for a contract worth around £560 million over the next six years.
This contract is for the delivery of projects including work on reservoirs, water-treatment works and pumping stations. Scottish Water said the contract would "help build on the significant improvements made to water services for the benefit of...customers in recent years".
Scottish Water said that, as part of the agreement, ESD would take on 15 modern apprentices in the first year. It would then take on another six in each of the following years of the contract, making a total of 45 modern apprentices.
It added that ESD would employ 10 graduates in the first year of the contract. It would then take on another four in each of the following years, meaning a total of 30 graduates would be recruited during the project of work.
Scottish Water also announced that ESD would, as part of the agreement, deliver community benefits including a commitment to supporting Scottish Water's education programme.
It added that 100 educational visits had been promised by the consortium.
The announcement of ESD as preferred bidder for the £560m contract is the third alliance partnership to be announced by Scottish Water for its 2015 to 2021 investment programme, which will deliver upgrades, maintenance and new infrastructure assets.
The utility said that it expected to make a further announcement later in the spring, about local contractors around Scotland that would support the alliances it has formed in helping to deliver the overall programme of work.
It added that this engagement of local contractors would support employment in small and medium-sized enterprises in Scotland and help to "sustain local economies".
In 2014, Scottish Water announced that Caledonia Water Alliance, a partnership of Morrison Utility Services and Aecom, would be its water infrastructure alliance partner. This partnership is working to recruit 20 modern apprentices and seven graduates.
It has also been announced previously that a partnership of Amey and Black & Veatch, known as aBV Alliance, will be Scottish Water's waste water infrastructure alliance partner.
Douglas Millican, chief executive of Scottish Water, said: "This is our third alliance appointment and the benefits for communities across Scotland will be felt through all of these partnerships.
"Through the commitment of our alliance partners, 90 modern apprentice and 55 graduate roles will be created as a result of our investment programme in the three alliances. This reflects the commitment of Scottish Water to developing the next generation of people to take forward the future of the industry."
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