NAW 2025: Apprenticeship starts must triple to meet construction demand

The Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) has published new research which explores the state of the industry’s apprenticeship system. 

There are approximately 82,000 apprentices enrolled on construction apprenticeships across Great Britain, with 33,000 starting in 2023/2024.

According to the report, Construction Apprenticeships: Challenge. Opportunities. Support, only one in five (21%) construction businesses go on to employ an apprentice, while just one in 10 (10%) employ more than one apprentice.

CITB’s latest Construction Skills Network forecast, for 2024–28, estimates that 251,500 additional workers will be required to meet construction demand. 

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, according to CITB. 

The report, published to coincide with National Apprenticeship Week (NAW), 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 facing businesses.

Commenting on the findings, 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.” 

Wright added that CITB is working in partnership with government and the National House-Building Council to deliver new homebuilding skills hubs to deliver “fast-track apprenticeship training”. 

“This being said, apprenticeships only form part of the training landscape – a relatively small part at that,” Wright said.

“At CITB, we’re also committed to developing alternative pathways to help more people into the industry and to help upskill existing workers.”

The publication of the CITB report follows a recent government announcement regarding reforms to the apprenticeship system.

The changes include relaxing English and maths requirements for apprentices, as well as reducing the minimum duration of some apprenticeships.