Subscribe to our Construction Newsfeed
UK Construction Directory
Search our 157,473 companies....

Construction News

16/05/2016

UCATT Research Reveals Shortfall Of Apprenticeships

Construction News Image
Research by union UCATT has found that while hundreds of thousands of young people begin construction training courses, only a small number secure apprenticeships.

A total of 167,000 young people began a training course for construction industry jobs in 2014/15. However, just 18,000 secured a building trade apprenticeship.

The figures also revealed that on average, only 12% out of 150,000 students who begin a course will gain an apprenticeship.

UCATT said as a result, government money in funding these students is "being poured down the drain".
-- Advertisement --
hss



The Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) said the industry requires 46,400 new entrants every year for the next five years to solve the current skills crisis.

However, Acting General Secretary Brian Rye said despite the shortage, employers are failing to take on apprentices.

"I'm horrified by these figures. What a waste of talent and Government money, to take these young people through a course and then have them ignored by the construction industry," he said.

"We have a well-documented skills shortage in the construction industry and we have major constructors failing to take on apprentices. And yet hundreds of thousands of young people who want to work in the industry, who have taken the first step into the industry by taking a course – are just left on the scrap heap.

"UCATT is calling on the major constructors in this country to make contact with these colleges, meet the students and start giving the best ones a chance in the industry."

(LM)

Latest Construction News

09/07/2025
Network Space Developments has formally submitted an outline planning application to redevelop the former Cadent Gas Works site on Winwick Road, just north of Warrington town centre. The plans propose up to 100,000 sq ft of high-quality employment space, intended to accommodate a range of industria
09/07/2025
The City of London Corporation has granted planning permission for two major high-rise schemes at opposite ends of the City's historic skyscraper cluster, reinforcing the Square Mile’s reputation as a global business and cultural hub. The approved projects, a 45-storey tower at 63 St Mary's Axe and
09/07/2025
Construction firm Kier has signed a Pre-Construction Services Agreement (PCSA) with global healthcare company Haleon to deliver a state-of-the-art Oral Health Innovation Hub in Weybridge, Surrey. The landmark project, announced by the UK Government during its International Investment Summit, will p
09/07/2025
One of the UK's largest housebuilders, Persimmon Homes Severn Valley, has submitted detailed proposals for the construction of 562 new homes in Cribbs Causeway, as part of the next phase of its major Fishpool Hill development near Bristol. The latest reserved matters applications cover phase two of
09/07/2025
The Transpennine Route Upgrade (TRU) has reached a significant milestone, following five consecutive weekends of intensive engineering work between Leeds and York to advance electrification of the line. As part of the ongoing upgrades, engineers have now installed 7.5 kilometres of overhead line eq
09/07/2025
Plans to transform the Teviot Estate in Poplar have reached a major milestone, with Tower Hamlets Council granting a resolution to approve the £800 million redevelopment at its Strategic Development Committee meeting on Tuesday, 8 July. The Hill Group and housing association Poplar HARCA are leadin
09/07/2025
Wates has joined Stepnell, Morgan Sindall, Kier, and BAM as a Gold Corporate Partner of the Centre for Construction Best Practice (CCBP), marking a major milestone in efforts to improve collaboration, innovation, and delivery standards across the UK construction sector. The five major contractors a
09/07/2025
Roger Bullivant Limited (RBL) has been appointed by main contractor McLaren to carry out piling works for a new Boxing Academy and school development in Hackney, East London. The high-profile project, commissioned by the Department for Education and the Boxing Academy Trust, will transform an unfin
09/07/2025
Key redevelopment projects at Central Library and Peterscourt, part of the wider Vine Towns Fund initiative, are set to move forward as Cabinet prepares to review an update and approve contracts at a meeting on 15 July. The update outlines the final phase of the £25 million Vine project, which is p
09/07/2025
Seven of the UK's largest housebuilders have offered a combined £100 million settlement in response to a Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) investigation into alleged information sharing practices that raised competition concerns. The CMA launched the probe last year amid suspicions that Barra
Efco UK LtdAqua Direct LtdLakeside HireStuart CanvasSmyths MaintenanceArdis Interiors & Flooring SpecialistBirmingham Contractor StaysHIRE IT (Harrow) LimitedGood Measure JoinerySolar Fix NI