Glasgow council will offer construction apprenticeships to all school leavers next year to help build the 2014 Commonwealth Games.

The council will spend £30m on the scheme and expects about 2,500 young people to take up the places next year. Local businesses that want trainees will get financial help.

Building work worth £500m will take place to prepare the sporting venues for the Games.

Steven Purcell, Glasgow council leader, said: “The Games will come and they will go, but it will mean nothing to the people of Glasgow if there’s not a genuine legacy.”

The council hopes the scheme will ease the country’s skills shortage. Scotland needs to recruit 6,320 workers every year to keep up with current demand.

The news comes as union Ucatt criticised the Olympic Delivery Authority for saying 90% of its training would only be to NVQ level two – equivalent to four GCSE passes.