£1 million fund to support construction apprentices

A construction skills council has been allocated £1 million to support apprentices across the construction industry, it has been announced.

ConstructionSkills will use the money to help companies that employ displaced construction apprentices. It is hoped that the scheme, funded by the National Apprenticeship Service (NAS), will see an additional 800 UK apprentices back in work and completing their training.

A maximum of £1,000 will be made available to each construction firm by ConstructionSkills, and only apprentices in the last 12 months of their apprenticeship will qualify for the scheme.

Nigel Donohue, Apprenticeship Programme Manager for ConstructionSkills, has explained the motivation behind the move:

"It is absolutely imperative that we do all that is possible to retain the talent within the industry, in a concerted and co-ordinated effort, to try and prevent a skills shortage.

"At ConstructionSkills, we are successful in placing thousands of apprentices with construction companies every year throughout the UK, so it would be a real shame if these apprentices, especially those who are so close to the finish line, were lost to the industry".

The National Apprenticeship Scheme has expressed its support of the project, stressing that apprentices will play a vital role as the UK prepares for the economic upturn.

14/08/09