Guthrie, who is 24, has been working as a labourer at JHE and will now join the mechanical division, with the team focusing on industrial equipment repairs, pump and gearbox overhauls, fabrication and pipework.

Euan Fisher, JHE’s mechanical engineering manager, said: “Andy is someone we believe has great potential and is fully committed to the task ahead.

“I have been here for 21 years and Andy is our first mechanical apprentice.

“It’s a notable addition to our team, he deserves the opportunity and I’m looking forward to seeing his progress.”

Fisher added: “He is beginning an exciting new chapter in his career and we’re proud to support his development as he gains the skills, knowledge, and hands-on experience needed to succeed.”

Guthrie will also take an HNC course at Fife College on a day-release basis, while hands-on at the Livingston base of the firm. 

Guthrie has become the most recent apprentice on JHE’s books. But in recent weeks, 17-year-old David Wilson and 20-year-old Lee Jack have been brought into the electrical side of the business. 

Meanwhile, Aidan Heaney became JHE’s first employee to do a building services apprenticeship when joining the Facilities Management division earlier in 2026. Heaney became the third generation of the family to join the business.

Guthrie said: “I am very grateful for this opportunity. It is an area of the industry I am really interested in and I can’t wait to get started.

“There are so many people here who have been with JHE for years having first joined as a young person and that speaks volumes for the kind of company it is.”

Managing director Mark Heaney said: “We are committed to investing in people. It has always been our ethos, since the earliest days of JHE, to encourage young talent into the business.

“We have a strong belief in the Apprenticeship Scheme, and we pride ourselves on developing the future of our industry.”