CITB Apprenticeship Starts Up on Previous Year

CITB’s New Entrant Support Team supported 5,913 apprentices to join the industry in the 12 months to April 2026.

This represents a 43% increase compared to CITB’s previous financial year.

In the 2025-26 financial year, CITB’s NEST also engaged with 20,579 employers to discuss apprenticeship recruitment requirements – 6,559 more than the previous FY, a 47% increase.

Apprenticeship Starts Up

CITB’s New Entrant Support Team helps employers with recruiting new entrants and apprentices, accessing grants and funding, and provides ongoing support and employee mentoring.

LC Lucas Construction, an employer helped by CITB to take on an apprentice, said: “NEST has allowed us to take on our new apprentice without having the impact of having to pay for the apprenticeship, and it has meant we are now considering employing another one.

“The team was a great support to us in among a minefield of information, I didn’t know where to start but they walked me through everything and ‘kept me right’ every step of the way. They simplified the process for me for which I am very grateful.”

According to CITB’s Construction Workforce Outlook 47,000 extra construction workers are needed every year to meet demand by 2029.

CITB’s Deborah Madden said: “NEST helps employers navigate the skills system, making the whole process, from recruitment to retention, easier for employers and new entrants by providing them with practical, hands-on guidance.”

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