The year-on-year decline in construction apprenticeships threatens the UK’s ability to ‘build back better’ from the coronavirus pandemic, says the Federation of Master Builders (FMB), in response to the Department for Education’s recent apprenticeship and traineeship data.
Provisional figures from the Department for Education for the first quarter of the 2020/21 academic year (August to October 2020) showed that since May 2015, there have been 2,302,300 apprenticeship starts and since May 2010, this total stands at 4,679,800.
However, people starting apprenticeships in 2020/21 stood at only 91,100, down by 27.6% from 2019/20 Q1. Meanwhile, in the same period, learner participation stood at 510,500, down by 9.3% from 2019/20 Q1 with achievements being down by 0.7%, at 30,100.
Breaking down the figures, higher apprenticeship accounted for a third of starts (33.1% or 30,100). While intermediate apprenticeships accounted for a quarter of starts (25.6% or 23,300), under 19s accounted for 26.1% of starts (23,800).
Commenting on the findings, Brian Berry, chief executive of the FMB, said: “Decisive and timely action must be taken by the government to reverse the sharp fall in construction apprentices.
“3,500 fewer apprenticeships started is not a record to be celebrated, as we approach National Apprenticeship Week, and as construction seeks to do its bit to build back better. The government must act urgently on the reforms set out in the Skills for Jobs White Paper, and give employers a greater voice in determining local skills needs, while strengthening links between employers and colleges.”
Brian concluded: “As we emerge from the coronavirus pandemic and implement the UK’s new points-based immigration system, skills and training in key sectors, such as construction, should be at the forefront of policy makers’ minds.
“As local builders train 71% of apprentices in the industry, they must be at the heart of plans to bring in the next generation of tradespeople, in a sector already facing a well-documented skills shortage.”
