UCATT Calls For Radical Overhaul Of Apprentice Policy

Construction union UCATT are calling on the Government to radically alter its apprenticeship policy, following the publication of figures that show the number of young workers in the construction industry has more than halved since the recession in 2008.

The latest figures compiled by CITB-Construction Skills reveal that since the economic downturn began in 2008, the number of 16-19 year olds working in the construction industry has plummeted from 119,330 in 2008 to just 56,781 in 2010. The number of 20-24 year olds has also significantly dropped from 250, 929 in 2008 to 213,634 in 2010.

During the same period the total number of people working in the industry declined by 235,000. However, the number of workers who were 60 or over was virtually unchanged, going from 196,993 in 2008 to 193,172 in 2010.

George Guy, Acting General Secretary of UCATT, said: "These are devastating figures for the construction industry. Construction is a hard physical profession and most workers are forced to retire before they reach 65. Unless new young workers are recruited and properly trained, then the industry will suffer severe skills shortages, productivity will be affected and future growth will be reduced."

UCATT has also learnt that despite the Government apparently championing apprenticeships by claiming to want to create 250,000 apprentice places, their own policies are undermining these targets. The Home and Communities Agency has recently dropped its national target for the number of apprentices employed on publicly funded social housing developments. Grant Shapps, the Housing Minister justified this decision, as "delivery is best optimised by reducing bureaucratic burdens and top-down targets to free up local partners".

This policy is in stark contrast to the previous Labour Government who had begun to introduce policies that made it compulsory for all construction companies employed in building new council housing and in some other Government funded construction projects to train apprentices. Companies, which did not train apprentices, were excluded from such work. Whilst utilising this policy in 2010/11 the HCA created or safeguarded 2,700 apprentice places.

Despite growth in construction remaining weak it is still estimated that the industry requires 30,000 new entrants every year, to replace workers who leave the industry. Prior to the recession that figure was 75,000. Latest figures indicate that the industry is currently training just 19,000 apprentices.

(CD)