SPOA and CECA Scotland partner to open plant careers to civils Academy graduates

The Scottish Plant Owners Association and the Civil Engineering Contractors Association Scotland have formed a partnership that will see the plant body fund training for CECA Scotland Academy graduates from this month.

The two trade bodies said they would combine networks, knowledge and resources to tackle skills, recruitment and clearer career pathways into plant, construction and civil engineering. The SPOA said the arrangement also opens the way for joint lobbying on issues affecting the wider construction industry.

From October the SPOA becomes actively involved in the CECA Scotland Academy, which the SPOA said has produced 180 graduates, 71% of whom have progressed to positive destinations.

David Jarvie, President of the SPOA, said: "We hope SPOA members will get behind the CECA Scotland Academy, attend the Meet the Students events and, where possible, help us turn those training opportunities into real jobs."

Meet the Students events

The SPOA said nine Meet the Students events are planned before the end of the year, at which Academy students can meet the association and its members for advice on apprenticeships and plant careers. Six dates have been published so far: Inverness on 13 October, West College Scotland on 20 October, Dundee and Angus College on 23 October, NESCol on 28 October, Forth Valley College on 29 October and Fife College on 12 November.

Gail McEwen, Vice President of the SPOA, said: "The CECA Scotland Academy is already doing a fantastic job of bringing people into civil engineering."

David Macdonald, Regional Director at CECA Scotland, said working with partners such as the SPOA, which has shared members, broadens the opportunity for young people.

Funded dump truck training

Academy graduates who are still looking for work will be offered training on the SPOA's Tenstar simulator at the association's office in Stirling. The first session for a cohort of graduates takes place on 21 October.

Graduates who then want to pursue a plant career can apply to the SPOA for funding towards their Articulated Dump Truck (ADT) ticket. The SPOA said the training would be delivered by a provider chosen by the Scottish Civils Training Group and would be available to candidates across Scotland.

The SPOA bought the Tenstar simulator to train on a full suite of machines including wheeled and tracked excavators, graders, ADTs and dozers. When it announced the investment, the association said the simulator could double as an aptitude test for young people considering a plant operator apprenticeship. The SPOA also has a trailer designed so members can take the simulator to schools, businesses and colleges across Scotland.

The SPOA will also keep supporting school events run by DYW and will invite the current Academy cohort to attend and use the simulator.

The Academy

CECA Scotland set up the Academy to address the skills gap in the civil engineering sector. It describes the course as an intensive 18-week programme with eight delivery partners across Scotland and guaranteed interviews for all graduates.

In August 2025 Juliet Mallace, who leads the Academy, reported a 68% positive destination rate against a national average of 58% for similar courses, and said the Academy had by then helped 62 young people into civil engineering roles. UHI Inverness said in February 2026 that 72% of students completing the Academy up to August 2025 had moved into positive destinations; CECA Scotland's own Academy page now gives the 71% figure quoted by the SPOA.

At UHI Inverness, 45 students from five cohorts have completed the 18-week course since 2023, the college said. The Academy has also worked with the Scottish Prison Service to pilot training at Perth Prison, according to Mallace.

The SPOA, founded in 1950 and based in Stirling, says it connects more than 250 plant owners across Scotland. It said details of further events and updates to the partnership would be announced over the coming months.