The Federation of Master Builders (FMB) is urging young people to consider a construction apprenticeship as a real and viable alternative to doing A-Levels, as the industry looks to fill 182,000 jobs in the next five years.
The building industry is experiencing a serious skills shortage which could hamper the economic recovery as the sector looks to replace the 390,000 workers that left the sector during the recession and the 410,000 workers that are due to reach retirement age in the next five years.
Provisional statistics show that there were 314,600 apprenticeship starts in the first three quarters of the 2013/2014 academic year but only 13,320 of these are in the construction, planning and built environment sector. Year on year the number of apprenticeship starts in this vitally important sector is decreasing (13,730 in academic year 2012/2013 and 13,920 in 2011/2012).
Sarah McMonagle, head of external affairs at the FMB, said:
“Now is the perfect time for young people to enter the construction sector. Research indicates that there will be 182,000 new jobs created in the building industry in the next five years and that 120,000 will need to be apprentices. To top that off, 43% of employers nationally agree that they would be more likely to offer an apprenticeship than they were two years ago.
“There has never been a more exciting time to begin a career in construction and we’re keen to demonstrate that A-Levels are not the only way forward for young people.”