TWO rising stars at Stirling based Robertson Civil Engineering are celebrating, after rising from interns to managing some of the company’s biggest projects.

Civil engineer Marc Anderson, 25, from Auchterarder and quantity surveyor Graeme Barclay, 29, from Falkirk, both joined Robertson as interns while they were students.

The pair were quickly offered graduate positions with the firm.

After rising through the ranks, they eventually oversaw the development of the £1.5million Strathkelvin Retail Park in Glasgow, followed by the £7million Acharn Biomass Facility in Killin.

Marc said: “My job is an interesting combination of site management and engineering, and when I was given the opportunity to step up in the business and take on more responsibility to help further my expertise, I jumped at it.”

Graeme said: “I was immediately given responsibility, getting out on site and managing some smaller-scale projects, with the support of a senior manager.

“It was hard work, but extremely rewarding learning how a project unfolds as well as working with other contractors and managing their expectations too.”

Robertson aims to get more young people working for the firm, to address the crippling shortage of engineers the sector is facing.

The firm is working to train young people at varying stages of their careers, either through high school and higher education partnerships, apprentice, trainee & graduate programmes and professional development schemes.

Tony Fry, the firm’s managing director, said: “It is widely recognised that the sector is facing a skills crisis, and measures need to be taken to help us fill jobs as well as providing opportunity for young people.

“Now is the time to act and recruit for the next generation, and our three-phase programme – which begins at high school – will help us tackle this by providing different levels of support and training for young people as they progress in their careers.”