Apprenticeships and Routes Into the Trades
TL;DR
With CITB forecasting the UK needs an extra 251,500 construction workers by 2028, training new entrants is mission-critical. The main pathways are: apprenticeships (Levels 2–7, funded through the Apprenticeship Levy and government co-investment), T-Levels in Construction (16–19), Skills Bootcamps (12–16 weeks, free for adults), traineeships and direct entry routes via Jobcentre Plus and the Construction Industry Training Board. CITB-registered employers can claim grants of several hundred to thousands of pounds per apprentice. Apprentices must be paid at least the apprentice National Minimum Wage (currently £6.40/hr).
Table of Contents
1. Why Bringing People In Matters Now
CITB's 2024 Construction Skills Network (CSN) forecast estimates the UK needs around 251,500 extra construction workers by 2028 to meet expected demand. That works out at roughly 50,300 additional workers a year, on top of replacing those who retire or leave.
ONS Labour Force Survey data shows the UK construction workforce skews older than the wider economy, with around 1 in 5 workers aged 55 or over. That makes succession planning a real commercial issue, not just a political one — if your business depends on one or two skilled people in their late 50s, you need a plan.
Apprenticeships have proven to be one of the most effective ways of bringing new people in. The Department for Education publishes statistics on apprenticeship achievements every year, and construction has one of the highest absolute volumes of apprenticeship starts of any sector.
For young people, the case is also strong: a skilled trade still leads to higher-than-average earnings, lower student debt and very high employment rates. The Government's Apprenticeship Service publishes outcome data showing that the majority of construction apprentices remain in employment after completing.
2. How Construction Apprenticeships Work
An apprenticeship in England is a paid job with substantial training. Apprentices spend at least 20% of their normal working hours on off-the-job training, typically at a college, training provider or sometimes an in-house training centre. Most construction apprenticeships at Level 2 or 3 last 2–4 years.
Construction apprenticeships are organised around Apprenticeship Standards developed by groups of employers ("trailblazers") and approved by the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education (IfATE). Standards cover bricklaying, carpentry and joinery, plumbing and domestic heating, electrical installation, plastering, roofing, groundworks, painting and decorating, and many more.
Each standard ends with an end-point assessment (EPA) by an independent assessor, leading to an apprenticeship certificate plus, in most cases, a relevant NVQ — which then opens the door to a full CSCS Skilled Worker card.
In Scotland, the equivalent is the Modern Apprenticeship; in Wales, Apprenticeships Cymru; in Northern Ireland, Apprenticeships NI. Each devolved nation has its own funding rules but follows similar overall principles.
3. Funding: Levy, Co-Investment & CITB Grants
The Apprenticeship Levy, in force since April 2017, requires UK employers with an annual pay bill over £3 million to pay 0.5% of that pay bill into a Levy fund, which can only be spent on apprenticeship training. Most construction SMEs sit below the threshold and so don't pay the Levy.
Non-Levy-paying employers in England access the system through "co-investment": the Government pays 95% of the cost of apprenticeship training and assessment up to the funding band for the chosen standard, with the employer contributing the remaining 5%. For employers with fewer than 50 staff taking on a 16–18-year-old apprentice, the employer contribution can drop to 0%.
On top of that, CITB (the Construction Industry Training Board) operates its own statutory levy on construction employers and reinvests it as Grant. Current CITB Grants Scheme rates include attendance grants for short courses and significant achievement grants when an apprentice completes a Level 2 or Level 3 NVQ — typically thousands of pounds per apprentice.
The combined effect is that the cost of bringing on an apprentice in England, for a small CITB-registered construction employer, is usually a small fraction of the apprentice's wage bill — and significantly less than recruiting an experienced tradesperson.
4. T-Levels and Skills Bootcamps
T-Levels are 2-year, classroom-led technical qualifications for 16–19 year olds in England, equivalent to 3 A-Levels. Three T-Levels currently target construction: Design, Surveying and Planning for Construction; Building Services Engineering for Construction; and Onsite Construction.
A core feature of the T-Level is a substantial industry placement of at least 315 hours (around 45 days). Government guidance on T-Levels explains that this is an opportunity for employers to road-test future apprentices — and many T-Level students go straight on to apprenticeships afterwards.
Skills Bootcamps, funded by the Department for Education, are free flexible adult courses of up to 16 weeks delivering training in areas with skills shortages, including construction (groundworks, retrofit, site supervision and others). They offer a fast-track route into the industry for adults aged 19+ and a guaranteed job interview at the end.
CITB also runs Onsite Experience hubs and other "into work" programmes, often co-funded with regional combined authorities. These can be a useful pipeline for employers who want to take on people who already have basic skills and a CSCS card before starting.
5. Adult Routes and Career Changers
There is no upper age limit on apprenticeships in England — adult apprenticeships are common and well-funded, particularly at Levels 2 and 3. Many career changers come into construction through this route, often after redundancy from other industries.
For experienced workers without formal qualifications, the "on-site assessment" route to an NVQ (covered in our CSCS Cards guide) lets you convert practical experience into recognised qualifications without going back into a classroom. This is widely used by tradespeople in their 30s, 40s and 50s.
Jobcentre Plus, the National Careers Service and dedicated construction recruitment programmes such as CITB's Jobs in Construction service all play a role in matching adults to entry routes. Local authorities and combined authorities also fund regional construction skills hubs.
For ex-Forces personnel, organisations such as Building Heroes and the Construction Industry Council's veteran initiatives provide tailored programmes, recognising that military service often delivers exactly the qualities (reliability, teamwork, problem-solving) that construction employers value.
6. For Employers: Taking on Your First Apprentice
Start by registering with CITB if you don't already pay the levy via PAYE. Then create an employer account on the Government's Apprenticeship Service (apprenticeships.gov.uk). You can post vacancies, manage funding and link with training providers all through that portal.
Choose a standard that matches the role you actually have. Don't try to make a Level 3 standard work for a Level 2 job, or vice versa. The funding bands and time-off requirements are tied to the standard, so getting this right at the start saves headaches later.
Pay at least the apprentice National Minimum Wage. The current rate (April 2024) is £6.40 per hour for under-19s and apprentices in their first year, after which the standard age-related minimum wage applies. Many construction employers pay well above the apprentice minimum, particularly in London and the South East.
Finally, plan their development beyond the apprenticeship. Apprentices who can see a clear career path — Level 2 to Level 3 to Gold card to supervisory or management role — are dramatically more likely to stay. CITB and the National Apprenticeship Service publish free employer toolkits to help structure this.