Cupar born Steven Dalrymple is the first official Modern Apprentice to be employed by Scottish chartered surveying firm Graham + Sibbald.
Steven took on his new role this week at the firm’s Fife office, working in the residential team.
Steven (18) left Bell Baxter High School in Fife this summer with an ambition to start a career in business. He spent time researching surveying and decided that it could be the job for him.
Steven said: “I am confident speaking to people at all levels and the idea of negotiating and working as part of a team really appealed. I am really excited to be starting with Graham + Sibbald and look forward to working hard and learning the business.”
Graham + Sibbald has always encouraged young talent to join at a grass roots level and employs graduates across a number of its offices.
Managing Partner of the firm, Les McAndrew, was also born and brought up in Fife and explained the reasons behind the G+S Modern Apprentice Scheme. “It is important for us to encourage new and talented young people into the industry. University is not for everyone, and there is an attraction to us, as employers, to take on local people with local roots to work and socialise in geographical areas where they and their families are already socially connected and established.
“We will develop and train Steven towards a RICS qualification in the future and we will expose him to a wide range of projects in and around Fife, hopefully allowing him to fully contribute to his local community. We have taken on graduates in other offices and Modern Apprentices in conjunction with Skills Development Scotland in our administration teams. Steven is the first to enter our Modern Apprentice/School Leavers programme on the surveying side of our business.
“With the industry in Scotland introducing a formal degree apprenticeship programme in September 2016, we believe we are leading the way in introducing a school leavers programme for trainee surveyors and hope to build on this by rolling out the programme across a number of our offices, recruiting in total five trainee surveyors in 2016.
Steven lives in Cupar, Fife with his family and enjoys sporting activities outside of work. He coaches rugby and enjoys golf.