Key construction apprenticeship stories hitting the headlines

Construction Management recently reported that apprenticeship starts in construction, planning and the built environment increased last year, and construction remains one of the most popular career routes for apprentices behind business and administration.

National Apprenticeship Week, which took place from 10-16 February, is an annual celebration of apprenticeships, aiming to raise awareness of the benefits of apprenticeships for individuals, businesses and society.

In support of this initiative, Dhiren Mistry looks at some of the most interesting apprenticeship stories in construction that have made the news over the past month.

The wide range of skills required to build the Hinkley Point C nuclear power station has fuelled the creation of more than 1,000 apprenticeships so far. The site is working closely with the local college, ensuring over 70% of apprentices come from Somerset. Roles will continue long beyond construction, with apprentices staying in place for the operation and maintenance phase.

The Construction Industry Training Board’s (CITB) ‘Construction Apprenticeships: Opportunities. Challenges. Support.’ Report estimates that 251,000 additional workers are needed to meet demand. It means the industry needs around three times the number of current apprenticeship starts. In more positive news, the report highlights that the number of females starting construction apprenticeships has increased by two-thirds from 2018/19 to 2023/24.

From August this year, the minimum duration for apprenticeships will be reduced from 12 to eight months. Effective immediately, firms can now also decide if applicants over the age of 19 will need to have GCSE-equivalent qualifications in English and maths.

Mark Farmer’s review of the CITB recommends a merger between it and the Engineering Construction Industry Training Board (ECITB). Farmer also suggests that the industry has an attrition issue, in that young new entrants are struggling to get into paid employment with a traineeship or apprenticeship.

Want to find out more about apprenticeships? Keep an eye out for our next blog to find out what it’s like to be an apprentice at LMC.