Calls for construction apprenticeships legislation

There are so few apprenticeships available in the construction industry that the government must address the situation, it has been suggested.

The Union of Construction, Allied Trades and Technicians (Ucatt) has called on the government to bring in a "tough deal" to help increase the number of apprenticeships available in the sector.

"Employers have got to be forced to take on apprentices. They do not want to at the moment," a spokesperson for Ucatt said, adding: "We are looking for a mixture of legislation and regulation."

The spokesperson called for the skills shortage to become a "priority" for the industry, noting that the amount of female construction workers is "irrelevant" as there are not enough places for applicants of any gender.

Last year, only 7,000 applicants out of 50,000 hopefuls for a construction apprenticeship were successful in their bid.

However, the government has estimated that 650,000 candidates need to be trained in construction by 2014.


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