Ad
Friday, July 18, 2025
27.1 C
London

The Voice of Scaffolding Since 2008  |  U.K. Edition

CITB extends support for apprentices through Covid-19

- Advertisement -

CITB is offering support to help find a new employer for any displaced apprentice as part of a raft of measures to keep skills within the industry.

Any construction apprentice is now eligible to receive CITB support if they lose their job or apprenticeship. This means around 11,000 apprentices across the construction industry, more than the 7,000 currently contracted with CITB, and their levy-registered employers can benefit from:

  • job redeployment services, including through the Construction Talent Retention Scheme
  • reallocation of grant funding to a new employer to help apprentices to complete their training if at risk
  • the apprenticeships information and reporting app
  • pastoral support
  • shared apprenticeship schemes

Sixty per cent of construction companies in the Construction Leadership Council’s People Survey said they would take on fewer apprentices at the next intake later this year. Approximately a quarter of construction’s 11,000 apprentices across the country are furloughed.

CITB’s dedicated support team will look to find a new employer for any displaced apprentice, through local industry contacts or by registering them with the Construction Leadership Council’s recently-launched Construction Talent Retention Scheme, which redeploys displaced apprentices and industry operatives.

If an employer is unable to help an apprentice complete their training amid current circumstances, CITB will help to find a new employer and also reallocate grant funding to them to support training through to completion, and with the help of Further Education (FE) partners and providers also assist with employment opportunities.

To prevent apprentice redundancies and encourage more employers to take them on, CITB is investing a total of £1million in shared apprenticeship schemes in England, Scotland and Wales.

Usually, apprentices work for one employer throughout their training. At present this may not be possible. CITB will use shared schemes to place apprentices with different construction companies, providing a range of experience and skills while allowing employers to continue supporting apprenticeships through short-term placements.

Many contracts that construction employers work on include Section 106 planning permission requirements to employ local apprentices. Shared apprenticeship schemes can help support employers meet these requirements, recruiting local labour and supporting the regional economy, without the need for a two-year commitment. This in turn supports learners to achieve a full apprenticeship, with the experience they need, working in local projects with a range of employers.

Building on the Government announcement to expand traineeships, CITB is exploring with industry, government and the Association of Colleges and British Association of Construction Heads how to adapt the traineeship model for construction. This would form part of a new transition route from Further Education into employment or a construction apprenticeship, to support 2,000 FE learners as a pilot scheme in 2021-22.

Deborah Madden, CITB Head of Apprenticeships, said: “With significantly fewer apprentices being taken on this year due to Covid-19, CITB has launched a range of initiatives including job redeployment assistance, pastoral support, shared apprenticeship schemes, and an employer levy holiday and discount to keep apprenticeships at the heart of construction. In partnership with the Construction Leadership Council, these measures are part of our Skills Stability Plan to support industry through the recovery.” 

Apprenticeships are the main source of industry recruitment at entry level – of the 20,300 people in 2018 who entered construction, 11,350 went via an apprenticeship and 8,900 through Further Education.

- Advertisement -

Popular this week >

Scaffolding Industry Mourns the Loss of Founding Leader David Spice

Christchurch, New Zealand — The scaffolding community across New...

ScaffEx25 registrations surge as NASC targets record-breaking turnout

Registrations for ScaffEx25, the global scaffolding and access industry’s...

GKR Scaffolding trebles profits as London projects drive growth

London — GKR Scaffolding has reported a sharp...

ScaffFloat Delivers Floating Scaffold Platform for Safer Pier Work in Teesside

ScaffFloat has deployed an innovative floating platform in Teesside...

UK Scaffolding Sector Gets New Tool to Trade Used Equipment

A new online platform is set to launch later...
- Advertisements -

Related Articles >

CITB Publishes Five-Year Workforce Outlook to Tackle Construction Skills Demand

The Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) has released a major new forecast highlighting the scale of workforce needs facing the UK construction sector over the next five years. Published yesterday, the Construction Workforce Outlook...

Latest Topics

AT-PAC Appoints New U.S. Managing Director

Atlanta, USA — Global scaffolding firm AT-PAC has named...

Scaffolder’s Epic Munro Challenge Captured in BBC Documentary

Scotland — A Scottish scaffolder has captured national attention...

GKR Scaffolding trebles profits as London projects drive growth

London — GKR Scaffolding has reported a sharp...

Scaffolding Industry Mourns the Loss of Founding Leader David Spice

Christchurch, New Zealand — The scaffolding community across New...
- Advertisement -

Popular Categories