'More apprenticeships needed' in construction

Building employers in England are being encouraged to increase their intake of construction apprentices as firms are missing out on talented workers due to a vacancy shortage.

Nationwide the construction industry missed out on some 12,000 workers last year, according to figures from training organisation ConstructionSkills.

According to the Leitch Review of Skills in 2006, the UK needs some 500,000 apprentices across all sectors by 2020, with the current total standing at only 250,000.

ConstructionSkills is now urging building employers to increase the number of apprentices they take on, not only to achieve this target but to improve the skills pool in the UK.

Max Hamps, director of apprenticeships at ConstructionSkills, explained: "Apprentices are essential to the construction industry and they can be an invaluable asset to any company."

However, he added that many firms still think that taking on an apprentice is costly or time consuming, or that drop out rates are high, despite ConstructionSkills statistics proving this is not the case.

The organisation has so far vetted 6,000 candidates for places on schemes this year so far, making sure they meet the required standard.



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