Number of Construction Apprenticeships Must Triple to Meet Demand

MORE THAN 33,000 people started construction apprenticeships in Great Britain in 2023/24. However, only one in five construction businesses (21%) employ an apprentice and just one in ten (10%) employ more than one apprentice.

These are the headline findings from the latest report from the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB): ‘Construction Apprenticeships: Opportunities. Challenges. Support.’

Currently, there are approximately 82,000 apprentices enrolled on construction apprenticeships across Great Britain. CITB’s latest Construction Skills Network (CSN) forecast for 2024–28 estimates that 251,500 additional workers will be required to meet construction demand. This means to help meet the industry’s annual recruitment requirement – 50,300 workers per year – it needs around three times the number of current apprenticeship starts.

To achieve this, the CITB’s report states that employers need targeted support and incentives. Additionally, efforts to raise awareness about the benefits of apprenticeships and how to implement them could help overcome some of the barriers businesses face.

Attracting Apprentices

On 11^th February, the government announced it was making two changes to the rules on apprenticeships in the hope of attracting more apprentices. The implemented changes mean the apprenticeship duration will be shortened from 12 to 8 months and employers will be given the right to decide whether Level 2 English and Maths is needed.

Businesses also have the added incentive that the increase to employer National Insurance Contributions starting on 6^th April 2025 does not apply to apprentices under the age of 25.

CITB has a New Entrant Support Team (NEST) to support apprenticeships and address skills shortages in the construction industry. NEST has supported over 3,500 new apprenticeship starts between April to December 2024 – more than doubling its impact compared to the previous period.

Last year, CITB finished rolling out its Employer Networks across Great Britain. The initiative provides employers with a direct channel to communicate their training needs and enables CITB to be more responsive to industry needs on both local and national levels. Between April – December 2024, 1,920 employers and over 20,000 learners were supported by Employer Networks.

Additionally, CITB’s National Construction Colleges (NCC) have seen their overall achievement rate for apprenticeships increase for the fourth year running, reaching 70% in the financial year 2024/25 to date.

Lucie Wright, Head of Careers Strategy at CITB

Lucie Wright, Head of Careers Strategy at CITB said: “Apprenticeships are vital to the future of the construction industry. A hard-working apprentice is a fantastic asset to any business. If industry, government and education providers work together, we can make a big difference to people’s lives by increasing apprenticeships.

“Working in partnership with the government and the National House Building Council, we’re delivering new homebuilding skills hubs to deliver fast-track apprenticeship training, providing learners with training in “real-life” site conditions for an immersive, hands-on experience led by expert trainers.”

>> Read more about apprenticeships in the news