With thousands of would-be apprentices struggling to find employers ConstructionSkills, the Sector Skills Council for the industry, is urging employers across England to continue to take on apprentices in order to remain competitive throughout the downturn.

The UK construction industry has recently seen a reduction in the annual requirement for new construction staff due to the economic downturn, the house building sector being particularly affected, but construction output continues to grow and thousands of new staff are still required to enter the industry each year so investing in apprentices remains vital.

ConstructionSkills is calling on companies of all sizes to recognise construction apprentices as a vital resource, and to commit to helping young people enter the industry before they are lost to other sectors.


To help employers take on an apprentice ConstructionSkills provides employers with financial support towards Traditional Apprenticeships of up to £9,820 and for the alternative Programme-Led Apprenticeships direct funding of £3,000. In addition through a network of trained advisors ongoing mentoring and support is provided. This end-to-end support has helped achieve a completion rate of 77%, 10% higher than the average for the sector.

Director of ConstructionSkills Apprenticeships, Max Hamps, said: "Apprentices are not only essential to the future of the construction industry but to the future of the UK economy. They can also be an invaluable asset to any company. By offering a flexible resource that can help your business grow, an apprentice could be the best investment your business ever makes.

"It is vital that during these tough economic times valuable skills are not lost in the short term while plans are developed to ensure the skills base exists to support the expected expansion annually between 2009 and 2013. We will continue to work closely with the house builders in particular who so far have been the most affected by the downturn."

(CD/JM)