Together we are Trusted to Serve Scotland.
Ready to own your future? Why choose between work and study when you can have both? With our Graduate Apprenticeships, you’ll get hands-on experience, a salary, and a degree - all at once. Work full-time in a real role, while studying towards your qualification. It’s the best of both worlds.
Join us as a Construction and the Built Environment (Quantity Surveyor) Graduate Apprentice, and in 4 years' time you’ll be graduating with a BSc (Hons) and four years of work experience under your belt. It’s an incredible way to start your career.
You’ll join our Commercial team from August 2026, where you’ll play a vital role in supporting both essential infrastructure projects and pioneering sustainability efforts at Scottish Water.
What does a Construction and the Built Environment (Quantity Surveyor) Graduate Apprentice do?
Working with the guidance of our Commercial Managers you’ll learn how to manage all costs relating to building and civil engineering projects from the initial calculations to the final accounts.
Over time you’ll develop technical, legal, analytical and evaluation skills in contractual frameworks, costing a project and enhancing value for money, while still achieving the required client expectations, standards, and quality.
You’ll work alongside experienced industry professionals, applying what you learn at university directly to real-world challenges.
By the end of your apprenticeship, you’ll have a degree, four years of practical experience, and the technical expertise to launch a successful career in quantity surveying.
Your journey with us
Graduate Apprenticeships offer the incredible opportunity to combine an academic degree qualification at a Scottish University with up to four years of hands-on work experience. Our Graduate Apprentices split their time between university campus, virtual learning and our offices, learning to apply their knowledge and skills in real time.
Over four years, you’ll receive dedicated training to become a fully qualified Quantity Surveyor, gaining the skills and confidence to make a real impact. We also encourage you to continue to keep developing your skills as you work towards professional competence.
This is your chance to earn as you learn, working with industry-leading teams to help deliver services that are essential to the daily lives of the people of Scotland.
What’s in it for you?
You’ll be challenged and given the opportunity to grow. We’re committed to helping you unlock your full potential with top-notch training, ongoing support, and a significant investment in your personal and professional development.
Earn while you learn. You’ll start on £26,120, with clear, scheduled pay increases as you reach key milestones as you work towards your degree. As you apply your learning directly to your role, your studies will gain real-world relevance and impact. You’ll also be eligible for an annual bonus and a great pension scheme.
Qualification. You’ll earn a Construction and Built Environment (Quantity Surveying) BSc (Hons) degree.
Real-world experience. Skip the theory and dive straight into dynamic, hands-on projects. You’ll build practical experience that not only enhances your learning but also accelerates your career.
Unmatched support. You’ll have a dedicated team of mentors at your side, guiding you through every step of the journey and ensuring you have everything you need to succeed.
Career growth. Upon completing the programme, you’ll be well-positioned to secure a permanent role, with both a degree and invaluable hands-on experience in your field.
Make a difference. You’ll be providing a vital service to Scotland and your local community, helping to protect the natural environment and make a positive impact.
And the best part? You’ll be part of a supportive, close-knit team that truly cares about your success - and who make every day at work enjoyable and rewarding.
What you’ll need
Construction and the Built Environment (Quantity Surveying) is a challenging specialism, and you’ll be studying at undergraduate level. So, it’s important that you meet the university’s entry requirements:
A minimum of four Highers. With at least two Highers at grade B or higher.
Various grade combinations from Highers and Advanced Highers will be considered.
Nat 5 English and Mathematics are essential at; Higher English and Mathematics are preferred.
We will also accept relevant Foundation Apprenticeships which will treated as equivalent to one SQA Higher at Band B.
You will need to be fully committed to gaining your degree. Some of your learning will happen on campus. Some of it will happen at work. Both are equally important.
But it’s not all about qualifications. It’s also about mindset. While your full-time student friends might occasionally decide to have a lie in and skip an early morning lecture after a night out, that won’t be an option for you.
A driving licence would be useful, but we know that lessons and tests are expensive. If you haven’t had the chance to pass your test, we can provide support to help you get your licence during your first year with us.
And to qualify for Graduate Apprenticeship funding, you will need to have the right to live and work in the UK, lived in the UK for three years and be living in Scotland as a resident at the start of your course.
In terms of requirements? That’s it.
But here’s the thing: We get thousands of applications for our apprentice roles each year. What makes the best candidates stand out?
Here are a few things we love to see:
CVs that tell us more than what qualifications you have gained. Show us what you love. What are your aspirations?
Cover letters that tell us why you’re interested in Scottish Water (and in this role particularly). We recommend including cover letters in the same document as your CV.
A note to women considering an apprenticeship
We’re proud to see more women joining our apprenticeship programmes every year, but there’s still work to do. Women are underrepresented in some of these roles, and we’re committed to changing that.
If you’re reading this and wondering if an apprenticeship is right for you, here’s the answer: it is.
Apprenticeships are for anyone with curiosity, drive, and a willingness to learn. If that sounds like you, we’d love to see you apply.
At Scottish Water, you’ll find a supportive network of women and men who’ve got your back. Whether you’re out in the field, in the lab, or in the office, you’ll be part of a team that’s here to help you grow, succeed, and feel like you belong - because you do.
The not-so-small print
We’re accepting applications until midnight on Sunday 22 March 2026.
There will be some fun (no, honestly!) online assessment activity in April. Interviews will happen during May and June. And we’re aiming to get all our new apprentices started in August.
For more information on our apprentice programmes and applications please visit our website: www.scottishwater.co.uk/apprentice
For any additional queries regarding your application, feel free to contact us at EarlyCareers@scottishwater.co.uk
A few final things worth knowing…
Research shows that some people avoid applying for jobs unless they can meet every single criteria. If you’re interested in this job, but don’t tick all the boxes, apply anyway! We hardly ever hire people who can do every part of a job from Day One. Everyone has a learning curve. So don’t rule yourself out!
Let us know if there are any changes we can make to our recruitment process to help you perform at your best. Lots of our people have disabilities or neurodiverse conditions (including some of our recruiters!). We're also aware that some people might be experiencing temporary challenges because of life events, like menopause. We’re very used to making adjustments, so please don’t be afraid to ask.
As part of our commitment to developing a flourishing Scotland, it’s important that all our employees are Scottish taxpayers. If you join us, your home address will need to be in Scotland. If you don’t already live here, you'll need to commit to moving here within your first three months.
Please note, Scottish Water takes the safety, health and wellbeing of our employees, colleagues and customers very seriously and as such you may be subject to Drug & Alcohol testing in line with our policy.
Finally (finally!), candidates who haven’t submitted an application in the last 12 months will have their records removed from our recruitment database. You won’t need to do anything. Your data will be automatically deleted.
We’re here to help. Ask us anything at SWRecruitment@ScottishWater.co.uk