{"id":514211,"date":"2025-02-11T12:45:24","date_gmt":"2025-02-11T12:45:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.constructionnews.co.uk\/?p=514211"},"modified":"2025-02-12T11:00:09","modified_gmt":"2025-02-12T11:00:09","slug":"industry-welcomes-shift-to-shorter-high-quality-apprenticeships","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.constructionnews.co.uk\/skills\/industry-welcomes-shift-to-shorter-high-quality-apprenticeships-11-02-2025\/","title":{"rendered":"Industry hopeful over shorter apprenticeship process"},"content":{"rendered":"

The construction sector faces a wait to see whether it will benefit from new government plans to shorten apprenticeships.<\/p>\n

Altering academic requirements should create up to 10,000 more apprenticeships a year across all industries, education secretary Bridget Phillipson announced this morning (11 February) during National Apprenticeship Week.<\/p>\n

Effective immediately, businesses will now be able to decide whether adult learners need to get GCSEs in English and maths to complete their apprenticeships.<\/p>\n

Phillipson also announced plans to reduce the minimum duration of some apprenticeships from 12 to eight months.<\/p>\n

This would take effect in August \u201csubject to the legislative timetable\u201d, she said.<\/p>\n

However, it is not yet clear if construction will be one of the specific industries to benefit from this new approach.<\/p>\n

The onus is now on quango Skills England to decide which apprenticeships \u201cwould be best served\u201d by an eight-month course, the Department for Education said.<\/p>\n

Skills England will \u201cprioritise key shortage occupations as per the [government\u2019s] industrial strategy\u201d, it added.<\/p>\n

However, the construction sector was specifically mentioned in the second line of a press release announcing the changes.<\/p>\n

In today\u2019s announcement, Phillipson said: \u201cOur new offer of shorter apprenticeships and less red tape strikes the right balance between speed and quality, helping achieve our number one mission to grow the economy.\u201d<\/p>\n

Reducing bureaucracy around apprenticeships \u201cdoes not mean that apprentices won\u2019t be assessed on core English and maths skills relevant to their occupation\u201d, she said, \u201cbut it does mean that apprentices will be able to focus more on their paid work\u201d.<\/p>\n

Mark Farmer \u2013 who led a review into the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) \u2013 said the proposed changes were \u201cgood news for construction skills and training\u201d.<\/p>\n

His review, published last month, called for a \u201cmodernised approach\u201d to skills<\/a>\u00a0that emphasises competency and upskilling.<\/p>\n

And in a LinkedIn<\/a> post reacting to the latest announcement, Farmer said reforming entry pathways to improve absorption into the sector and changes to the English and maths requirements were \u201ccentral conclusions\u201d in a 2023 review into construction training.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe need to shift towards high-quality, shorter and front-loaded training focused on work readiness, basic occupational competency and productivity,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n

Federation of Small Businesses executive director Craig Beaumont also welcomed the \u201cencouraging\u201d move, which he said \u201cshould help SME employers fill skills gaps faster\u201d.<\/p>\n

But there was a more guarded welcome from the Chartered Institute of Building.<\/p>\n

Its head of policy and public affairs David Barnes said: \u201cChanges to apprenticeships are very much needed to increase the number of people entering the construction sector, so the government’s attention to this important matter is very welcome.<\/p>\n

\u201cHowever, we have some concerns that shorter periods of learning could lead to lower quality outcomes for apprentices and employers, which in turn could impact the quality and safety of the projects they go on to work on.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe could also see higher rates of dropout due to the pressures of undertaking skilled and complex learning in a compressed period of time, particularly when so many are adult learners with families.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe’re in favour of streamlining processes to reduce the delays currently experienced by many construction apprentices, for example at the assessment stage, but maintaining high standards and competency must remain a top priority.\u201d<\/p>\n

CITB chief Tim Balcon said the announcement will “hopefully help address some of these issues and attract more people to start apprenticeships and enter the construction industry”. But he added: “It is most important to maintain the standards also”.<\/p>\n

He also said apprenticeships are not the only route into construction, and, though “a really valuable route” for many, “aren\u2019t suited to all”.<\/p>\n

“In improving this part of the skills system, we shouldn\u2019t miss the opportunity to take a step back and see what other new, additional routes could be established that will attract a wider variety of new entrants who may be entering work for the first time, or changing career seeking a new exciting challenge.\u201d<\/p>\n

In her announcement, Phillipson also revealed the executive team for Skills England, appointing Tessa Griffiths and Sarah Maclean as joint chief executives of the new body. Previously, Griffiths and Maclean were both directors for post-16 skills and strategy at the DfE for more than two years.<\/p>\n

Phil Smith, the former chief executive of international tech and telecoms firm Cisco was appointed as its new chair. Sir David Bell, vice-chancellor at the University of Sunderland and a former chair of social housing firm Karbon Homes, is the organisation’s new vice chair.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The construction sector faces a wait to see whether it will benefit from new government plans to shorten apprenticeships. Altering academic requirements should create up to 10,000 more apprenticeships a year across all industries, education secretary Bridget Phillipson announced this morning (11 February) during National Apprenticeship Week. Effective immediately, businesses will now be able to …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":90643,"featured_media":504118,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ep_exclude_from_search":false},"categories":[565,575],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n