The award was established in 2008 following the passing of Clark Contracts employee, Alan Calder. Alan, a chartered quantity surveyor, joined Clark Contracts in 2004, as general manager of the company’s divisions for Small Works, Insurance and Maintenance.

From 2008 until 2019, it was presented to the Top Final Year Student at Glasgow Caledonian University’s School of Engineering and the Built Environment annual prize-giving.

From 2020, this has been an in-house award presented annually to the top-performing student from the contractor’s award-winning Academy, with the winner selected using a number of factors, including academic results, attitude to studies, university attendance and feedback from university.

For the 2024-25 academic year, the prize has been awarded to Drew, who works within the Construction division. Drew joined Clark Contracts in January 2025, while completing his four-year full-time BSc Construction Management degree.

In his final year, Drew consistently achieved strong results across all modules thus being awarded the Alan Calder prize. Following his graduation last year, Drew was promoted to Assistant Planner.

Gordon Cunningham, managing director of Clark Contracts, said: “It is an honour to present this award again, in memory of our former colleague Alan Calder, who was passionate about the development of young people in our industry. Drew’s dedication and performance demonstrate the values Alan stood for, and we are proud to support the next generation of construction professionals through our Academy.”

The Clark Contracts Academy continues to play a vital role in developing future talent, offering structured training, mentorship, and career progression opportunities across a range of disciplines within the business.