While the UK construction industry continues to insist that young people in this country just don鈥檛 want to work in construction and we need more immigrant labour, the experience of Seddon tells a different story: there is no shortage of potential recruits, just not enough training going on.
Seddon had 2,694 applicants for its 20 apprentice placements in its latest hiring round.
The 2024 Apprenticeship Report from the Construction Industry Training Boards (CITB) stated that the UK needs 50,000 new construction apprentices per year to meet workforce demand, yet only 33,000 started in the year 2023/24. If this trend continues, the UK will struggle to meet housing and infrastructure targets.
鈥淲e are not short of young people ready to work, we are short of employers ready to take them on,鈥� said Nicola Hodkinson, owner and director at Seddon. 鈥淭his is not the first time that we have been oversubscribed in apprenticeship applicants, and this year's soaring application figures show how much appetite there is from the next generation. But, unless we have a collective shift as an industry in how we approach apprenticeships, we risk losing this talent to other sectors or worse, they become another statistic amongst the 鈥榥ot in employment, education or training鈥� (NEET).鈥�
Of Seddon鈥檚 applicants, 8% identified as female, and 29% of applicants identified as being from Black, Asian, or Minority Ethnic (BAME) backgrounds, suggesting growing interest from underrepresented groups. Without more opportunities, however, this enthusiasm risks being lost, leaving diverse candidates feeling overlooked and further disconnected from the industry, Hodkinson said.
Seddon鈥檚 applicant pool also reflected a range of educational backgrounds and life stages: school leavers made up 18.4% of applicants, while 34.5% came from further education, 20% from higher education, and 25% were aged over 21.
聽鈥淲e need more employers to step up, we need greater funding flexibility, and an employment system that actually supports employment and opportunities for apprenticeships,鈥� Hodkinson said. 鈥淚n order to do this, we need the government to understand the needs of the sector, its employers and the challenges they currently face. If we want to secure the future of UK construction, we have to invest in it, and that starts with our apprentices.鈥�
While the government has outlined plans to reform the apprenticeship system, including a proposed Growth and Skills Levy and the creation of Skills England, there remain concerns that these measures may fall short in practice. Such concerns include the replacement of the Institute for Apprenticeships & Technical Education (ifATE) with Skills England, with concerns expressed that it might lack the authority for sufficient employer consultation.
Due to construction鈥檚 unique workforce demands, Hodkinson argues that any strategy to address the skills gap must be shaped by the businesses creating the roles, and that means talking to supply chain employers.
According to the 2024 CITB Apprenticeship report, SME engagement in apprentice placements is critically low. With 90% of construction companies in the UK employing fewer than 10 workers, the industry risks falling further behind. The CITB has backed the government鈥檚 proposed Growth & Skills Levy to replace the current Apprenticeship Levy, which is said to allow employers to access broader training options and align with current skills demands.
聽CITB engagement director Danny Clarke said: 鈥淚t鈥檚 encouraging to see so many young people eager to start careers in construction, but these numbers also highlight the urgent need for more employers to offer apprenticeship opportunities.
鈥淥ur New Entrant Support Teams with Go Construct鈥檚 new careers portal, set to launch later this month, is actively working with Seddon. This new platform will enable apprentice applicants to upload CVs, create profiles, and search for opportunities, while employers can advertise roles and find candidates. Seddon will be writing to all unsuccessful applicants, encouraging them to join the portal, and our new entrant support team will help match them to suitable employers.鈥�
According to the National Federation of Builders (NFB), most building companies can鈥檛 afford to take on apprentices.
Rico Wojtulewicz, head of policy and market insight at the NFB, said: 鈥淚n construction, SMEs train 73% of apprentices, but because they do not have strong pipeline of work, with most operating hand to mouth, they cannot afford an apprentice. Things are so bad that many cannot even afford to retain existing stuff, let alone afford an apprentice. If they had work pipelines, they would be able to train as they did in the 1980s, when SMEs built 40% of homes and we trained more bricklayers and carpenters than all construction apprentices today.鈥�
Nicola Hodkinson concluded: 鈥淚t鈥檚 heartbreaking to think we could lose these enthusiastic, capable individuals. With 31% of applicants already holding a construction qualification, there's a real risk they may move to other sectors. We are having conversations with our supply chain, public sector clients with direct labour, and our contacts in skills, education and employment to try and connect these apprentice candidates with employers.鈥�
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