Future Retirement Success
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Investing
  • Stocks
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Investing
  • Stocks

Future Retirement Success

Business

Construction skills ‘crisis’ as new figures reveal just one in five sector SMEs are planning to take on an apprentice 

by June 22, 2023
June 22, 2023
Construction skills ‘crisis’ as new figures reveal just one in five sector SMEs are planning to take on an apprentice 

Apprenticeship starts and completions show worrying declines, despite construction and trade business owners rating skills shortages as their top concern

Construction sector already faces huge skills gap, with Checkatrade’s recent Trade Skills Index Report predicting 1m more tradespeople will be needed over the next decade just to keep up with demand

Just 20 percent of SMEs are planning on taking on an apprentice, with the figure for firms employing 10-19 employees as low as nine percent

Checkatrade launches ‘Get In’ programme to tackle the problem – aimed at getting thousands more young people into trades apprenticeships

The UK faces a construction apprenticeship “crisis” after new figures revealed just one in five of the sector’s small business owners plan to take one on this year.

The statistics, taken from a survey of tradesperson directory Checkatrade’s member base* shows the appetite among SMEs for hiring apprentices is currently low, with just 20 percent planning on doing so over the coming year.

The figure for firms employing between 10-19 employees was as low as nine percent, while for sole traders it was 17 percent.

The stats make for concerning reading when viewed alongside Government figures that show apprenticeship starts dropped by 4.1 percent in the six months to January 2023 – from 203,990 to 195,600.

That’s as well as Checkatrade’s UK Trade Skills Index report, which earlier this year revealed apprenticeship completions had fallen by 11 percent a year since 2017.

And exacerbating the problem further, a quarter of business owners told Checkatrade’s SME survey that skills shortages and the challenge of finding suitable staff is their biggest concern – even above rising costs and inflation; and being too busy.

The figures have been released against a backdrop of research proving apprenticeships to be a productive and effective way of growing talent and developing a motivated, skilled, and qualified workforce. Of those surveyed, 86 percent of employers believe apprenticeships help them develop skills relevant to their organisation, while 78 percent say they help improve productivity**.

This summer, Checkatrade is launching its new Get In programme, aimed at getting thousands more young people under the age of 25 into the trades through apprenticeships.

It will seek to capture young people’s CVs and connect them to opportunities within Checkatrade’s membership base, as well as large trade employers and SME trade businesses.

Richard Harpin, Founder of HomeServe and Chairman of Checkatrade, is spearheading the campaign. He said: “Without a doubt, the construction industry finds itself in something of a crisis when it comes to apprenticeships.

“The worrying statistics revealing the reluctance of small business owners to take on apprentices coupled with the declining starts and completions should serve as a wake-up call for the entire industry.

“Apprenticeships have been proven time and again to be an invaluable resource for nurturing talent and building a skilled workforce, so it’s essential that we address this issue promptly and proactively.

“With Get In, we’re aiming to do just that. Not only will we be collaborating with industry leaders to inspire and motivate a new generation of tradespeople to join our industry, but we will also be getting CVs of ambitious, talented young people in front of great employers.”

The Get In programme is being launched following the release of Checkatrade’s UK Trade Skills Index 2023, which reported earlier this year that the UK will need almost a million new plumbers, bricklayers and other tradespeople by 2032 just to keep pace with demand. The figure for qualified apprentices contributing to that total is around 250,000.

But with the Government last year ending its apprenticeship incentives for businesses introduced during the pandemic, that target is looking increasingly difficult to hit.

The Trade Skills Index report also highlighted an “urgent and alarming” shortage in trades professionals, with the issue exacerbated by the post-Brexit exodus of European workers and an aging workforce, one third of whom are aged over 50 and will likely retire within the next 10 years.

Melanie Waters, Managing Director of Trade-Up and Checkatrade’s Get In programme, said: “It’s a shock to see the number of apprenticeship starts dropping and such reluctance from businesses to take on this type of employee.

“These numbers should be going up, not down, but we know there are barriers and we’re aiming to help trade employers – big and small – to address this.

“Through the Get In programme, we’re aiming to bridge the gap by providing opportunities for more young people to enter the trades through apprenticeships, as well as educate those businesses about apprenticeships and what fantastic additions they could prove to be to these firms.

“Together, we can overcome this crisis and help secure a prosperous future for the construction industry, so watch this space for more news as we launch this summer.”

Read more:
Construction skills ‘crisis’ as new figures reveal just one in five sector SMEs are planning to take on an apprentice 

0
FacebookTwitterGoogle +Pinterest
previous post
UK dairy prices could keep rising unless staff shortages ease
next post
Entrepreneurs launch Trafod – a new platform to revolutionise public engagement  

You may also like

Investigo appoints Derek Mackenzie as CEO to drive...

July 13, 2023

Think tank calls for skilled migrants to fuel...

August 31, 2024

How to Choose the Right Fulfilment Company for...

November 2, 2023

Businesses expect taxes to rise after general election

November 6, 2023

Why Independent Digital Platforms Are Gaining Ground Among...

June 7, 2025

Moving From Servers to Software: The Success Story...

December 10, 2024

Barclays Suspends Festival Sponsorship Amid Protests

June 16, 2024

Plans to redevelop Cambridge shopping centre face rejection...

February 13, 2025

Anne Robinson Gives Away £50 Million Fortune to...

May 22, 2024

Supermarkets questioned by MP’s to explain explain high...

June 27, 2023

    Get free access to all of the retirement secrets and income strategies from our experts! or Join The Exclusive Subscription Today And Get the Premium Articles Acess for Free

    By opting in you agree to receive emails from us and our affiliates. Your information is secure and your privacy is protected.

    Recent Posts

    • HMRC inheritance tax investigations surge 37% as treasury seeks to plug revenue gap

      June 9, 2025
    • Believ secures £300m to roll out 30,000 public EV charge points across the UK

      June 9, 2025
    • US and China hold London talks to ease trade war tensions

      June 9, 2025
    • British fathers urged to join landmark ‘dad strike’ over poor paternity leave

      June 9, 2025
    • IVF parents should have right to paid fertility leave, says GMB union

      June 9, 2025
    • Reform UK clashes with Bank of England over interest payments to lenders

      June 9, 2025

    Categories

    • Business (8,158)
    • Investing (2,019)
    • Politics (15,571)
    • Stocks (3,136)
    • About us
    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms & Conditions

    Disclaimer: futureretirementsuccess.com, its managers, its employees, and assigns (collectively “The Company”) do not make any guarantee or warranty about what is advertised above. Information provided by this website is for research purposes only and should not be considered as personalized financial advice. The Company is not affiliated with, nor does it receive compensation from, any specific security. The Company is not registered or licensed by any governing body in any jurisdiction to give investing advice or provide investment recommendation. Any investments recommended here should be taken into consideration only after consulting with your investment advisor and after reviewing the prospectus or financial statements of the company.

    Copyright © 2025 futureretirementsuccess.com | All Rights Reserved