The NCBF welcomes changes in education pathways announced at the Labour Party conference.

Andy Burnham said that he would change the education system - providing good quality pathways for all from 14-years-of-age and the right support for young people when they need it. A 45-day work placement between 16 and 18 and an apprenticeship at 18.

Angela Carney, president of Northern Counties Builders Federation

A school system still built around the university route has failed too many young people, and almost a million not in work or learning is a systems failure.

Pathways from age 14, a 45-day placement between 16 and 18, and an apprenticeship at 18 is the right architecture. 

In construction, though, the gap is already visible on the ground. Colleges can attract young people onto full-time construction courses. What we cannot do, at scale, is place them.

There are not enough employers offering the 45-day industry placements T Levels require and not enough apprenticeship vacancies at the end of the course. In our experience, fewer than 20% of learners on full-time construction programmes progress into an apprenticeship in the industry. That is not a motivation problem. It is an employer-supply problem. Without enough places, we are setting young people up to complete a course and then stall.

Having gathered the views from several of our members, employers are keen and willing to take on apprentices, but in some cases have been left feeling burnt, with apprentices departing their programmes early, leaving employers to shoulder severe financial losses.

Data from the British Association of Construction Heads (BACH) and education charity NOCN reveals a staggering 47% dropout rate across the industry. Because the sector relies heavily on small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs)—which employ six in ten construction apprentices—these early departures hit smaller businesses the hardest. 

Unlike other sectors where dropouts happen early, construction apprentices are in some cases prone to dropping out late in the game, which can be a frustrating process for an employer, having spent time, money and resources on training.

An “apprenticeship at 18” only works if there is an employer available to offer them a role at 18. Government now needs to close that gap. We need more SMEs taking on apprentices, better support, reduced risk for employers, support for site-based placements and a clear conversion route from college study into a paid apprenticeship. Otherwise, the youth offer announced at the Labour Party Conference will look like opportunity on paper and failure in the workshop.

If Lucy Powell’s reforms and the Milburn review put employer capacity at the centre — not just new pathways — this could still be the moment FE has been asking for. The test is whether a 17-year-old who has done the graft in college can walk onto a site and build what can be a lucrative and fulfilling career in the construction sector. One which offers diverse career routes and a life-long job.