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Government must act as construction apprenticeship starts drop by 44%

The Government must review its approach to apprenticeships following new statistics published which show that construction apprenticeship starts have plummeted by almost half.

According to the Federation of Master Builders (FMB), in March 2019 there were only 694 Construction, Planning and the Built Environment apprenticeship starts compared with 1,247 in March 2018.

Brian Berry, Chief Executive of the Federation of Master Builders, said “Construction apprenticeship starts have suffered a serious hit and we now need decisive action from the Government in order to reverse this decline. The Government must accept the recommendation made in the Review of Post-18 Education and Funding, to make provision for full funding, at all ages, for first qualifications at Level 2 and 3. The Government is uniquely placed to drive the apprenticeship agenda, and if Ministers want to achieve their target of three million apprenticeship starts by the end of next year, they must review apprenticeship policy, including the Apprenticeship Levy.”

“Of course the construction industry itself must do more to rally around a shared ambition to promote the industry and all its merits, such as innovation, design and entrepreneurship. The drop in starts by almost half should sound the alarm that we aren’t doing enough to get the message out there. If we don’t address the skills shortage by increasing training and apprenticeships, the construction industry won’t be able to expand and grow. Introducing a mandatory licensing scheme for UK construction could help create the culture change our industry needs by improving our reputation through increased quality and professionalism and thus make us more attractive to new entrants.”

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Over 50% need help to keep skilled workers post-Brexit

A OnePoll survey commissioned by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) found that while reception of the apprenticeship levy looks positive, findings indicate concern for the more immediate pipeline of skilled workers in the construction industry.

Findings in brief

  • 42% of construction workers feel more confidence for the growing talent pool as a result of apprenticeship levy
  • 43% have felt a positive impact from apprenticeship levy
  • However, there are still concerns over skills available in UK as 56% think Government and construction workers should help skilled workers from abroad remain post-Brexit
  • 86% of construction workers agree that businesses should focus on skills and abilities for new hires

Is the levy working?

Though the apprenticeship levy only came into force in April 2017, indicators show that it has been well received so far. 43% of construction workers have noticed a positive impact and 42% say that they feel more confident in the growing talent pool as a result of the levy.

Since the introduction of the Levy, a third (36%) have noticed an increase in the number of apprentices employed, and 30% have also seen an increase in the number of apprenticeship applicants, although 15% said they now have more paperwork to fill in. And it would seem those in the south of England are the most positive about the levy, with more than the national average reporting positive impact. This rose to almost two thirds (63%) of construction workers in London and over half (52%) in the South West.
Are apprenticeships enough?

However, while the long-term talent pipeline outlook looks promising, there are concerns over home-grown talent being able to fulfil the demand for skills needed in the construction industry in the shorter term. Output in the construction market is expected to grow over the next 12 months, yet 53% of construction workers say that labour shortages are an issue for business.

With a predicted 8% of the UK’s construction workforce made up of European nationals[2], over half (56%) of construction workers across all levels feel that construction companies and Government should work together to ensure skilled workers in the sector can remain in the UK. This rises to over two thirds (66%) in London and is most keenly felt among senior and middle managers in construction (71% and 67%, respectively).

An RICS report found that 30% of construction professionals said that hiring non-UK workers was important to the success of their businesses. And this shows when it comes to priorities for hiring within the industry.

Barry Cullen, RICS Future Talent Director said “It is great to see such a positive reaction to the apprenticeship levy from the industry so early on and RICS is working with members and employers on schools programmes, to engage and inspire more young people into surveying, to fill a more diverse pipeline of talent. Encouraging the next generation and ensuring there is fresh and skilled talent to meet the demands of the future is vital to any industry’s success, and it’s clear that the construction industry is united in this belief.

“However, with Britain set to leave the European market we must ensure that we are not left in a skills vacuum. An estimated 176,000 EU citizens are employed in the construction business, so it is vital that government and businesses work together to ensure they are able to remain or risk leaving the industry short of the people they need.”

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Urgent review of apprenticeship levy needed to reverse decline in apprenticeships

The 28% fall in apprenticeship starts between August 2017 and March 2018 compared with the same period the previous academic year suggests the Government needs to look again at the way the Apprenticeship Levy is working, according to the Federation of Master Builders (FMB).

Commenting on statistics published by the Department for Education (DfE), Brian Berry, Chief Executive of the FMB, said “The Government’s own statistics show a 28% plunge in apprenticeship starts over the current academic year so far. The Apprenticeship Levy was introduced in April 2017 to boost apprenticeship training across all business sectors but so far it seems to be having the opposite effect. Some reforms are obvious and need to be looked at more urgently now. The Government should allow large companies to pass more of their Levy vouchers down through their supply chains if the company itself is not in a position to train apprentices. Currently large firms are only permitted to pass 10% of their Levy funds down to their sub-contractors and others in their supply chain. There needs to be much greater flexibility than this. In the construction sector, larger firms often do not directly employ on-site tradespeople or directly train apprentices and so there is a real danger this industry and others will continue to fail to take advantage of the Apprenticeship Levy if we can’t change this.”

“These figures have been published shortly after the FMB’s latest research which shows that small construction firms are experiencing record highs in terms of skills shortages. In the long term, the only way we will be able to address the chronic skills crisis is by recruiting and training more new entrants. We know that 58% of builders are struggling to hire bricklayers and 55% are having difficulties finding carpenters and joiners. We need to iron out the flaws in the Apprenticeship Levy and reverse this decline in apprenticeships to give us the best chance of tackling these skills shortages.”

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