With a new CITB report revealing that around three times the number of apprenticeship starts in construction are needed to keep pace with demand in the sector, the Government has announced a number of reforms to apprenticeships in England to help boost numbers by a further 10,000 a year and meet its targets in key areas such as housebuilding.
With immediate effect, apprentices who begin their training when aged 19 or over will no longer be subject to the mandatory requirement to achieve level 2 qualifications in English and maths. From August 2025, the minimum duration required for an apprenticeship will be reduced from 12 to eight months, with Skills England to prioritise which apprenticeships will be shortened based on key shortage occupations. We are awaiting further details on how these changes align with the industry’s competence frameworks and will be applied to construction‐related apprenticeships.
A reminder that employers do not pay National Insurance contributions for apprentices under the age of 25 and earning less than £50,270, and CITB’s New Entrant Support Team is available to help with finding, recruiting and retaining apprentices.
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