New figures from the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) Scotland reveal it directly trained 1,930 new Modern Apprentices last year, up 36% from 1,422 apprentices in 2011.
With nearly 5,000 apprentices currently in training, up 7% on 2016, CITB is the single largest training provider of Modern Apprenticeships in Scotland.
During Scottish Apprenticeship Week, employers are being encouraged to consider taking on an apprentice for the first time, or to add to their current workforce, to help this upward trend continue. Applications to become a CITB Scotland apprentice for 2018 are already standing at more than 3,000.
Up to £10,250 of CITB grant funding is available to levy paying employers for every apprentice they employ and with CITB research predicting that more than 10,000 new construction workers needed in Scotland over the next five years, there is no better time to encourage people to join the industry.
Ian Hughes, partnerships director at CITB Scotland, said:
“Scottish Apprenticeship Week is the perfect platform to highlight the benefits apprenticeships provide to employers of all sizes.
“We already have thousands of people looking to take up an apprenticeship in the coming year. Whilst there is a very strong culture amongst employers to train apprentices, it is vital additional employers from across Scotland come forward to recruit these applicants. As an industry we are very keen to invest in the right people to maintain and enhance the skills our industry requires.
“I encourage all employers who are interested, or require more information, to get in touch with our very experienced apprenticeships team.”
Added Kenneth Gibson MSP:
“The Scottish construction industry needs a skilled workforce to help build the homes and infrastructure we need, and an apprenticeship offers the perfect first step on the path to a rewarding career.
“Apprenticeships are life changing opportunities, providing the chance, not only to work and earn, but also to achieve an industry recognised qualification to support future career ambitions and I am delighted to see apprenticeship numbers grow in the construction sector for the seventh consecutive year.”
Employers and anyone considering a career in construction can get all the information they need through the construction industry’s website, Go Construct at: www.goconstruct.org/
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