Construction firm, Seddon, has revealed that 2,694 people applied for just 20 apprenticeship roles in its latest hiring round, equating to a workforce large enough to build The Shard twice. With thousands of people keen to start careers in construction, Seddon warns that a lack of apprenticeship places is locking talent out of the sector.

The 2,694 figure mirrors national concerns cited in the 2024 CITB Apprenticeship Report, stating that the UK needs 50,000 new construction apprentices per year to meet workforce demand, yet only 33,000 started in the year 2023/24. If this trend continues, the UK will struggle to meet housing and infrastructure targets.

“We are not short of young people ready to work, we are short of employers ready to take them on,” said Nicola Hodkinson, owner and director at Seddon. “This is not the first time that we have been oversubscribed in apprenticeship applicants, and this year’s soaring application figures show how much appetite there is from the next generation. But, unless we have a collective shift as an industry in how we approach apprenticeships, we risk losing this talent to other sectors or worse, they become another statistic amongst the ‘Not in Employment, Education or Training’ (NEET).”

Of Seddon’s total applicants, 8% identified as female, and 29% of applicants identified as being from Black, Asian, or Minority Ethnic (BAME) backgrounds. While these numbers don’t yet match the sector’s predominantly white, male workforce, they do show a clear and growing interest from underrepresented groups. Without more opportunities, however, this enthusiasm risks being lost, leaving diverse candidates feeling overlooked and further disconnected from the industry.

The applicant pool also reflects a wide range of educational backgrounds and life stages, highlighting the broad appeal of construction careers. School leavers made up 18.4% of applicants, while 34.5% came from further education, 20% from higher education, and 25% were aged over 21.

“We need more employers to step up, we need greater funding flexibility, and an employment system that actually supports employment and opportunities for apprenticeships. In order to do this, we need the government to understand the needs of the sector, its employers and the challenges they currently face. If we want to secure the future of UK construction, we have to invest in it, and that starts with our apprentices.”

While the Government has outlined plans to reform the apprenticeship system, including a proposed Growth and Skills Levy and the creation of Skills England, there remain concerns that these measures may fall short in practice. Such concerns include the replacement of the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education (ifATE) with Skills England, with many worried that it will lack the authority for sufficient employer consultation.

Due to construction’s unique workforce demands, Hodkinson argues that any strategy to address the skills gap must be shaped by the businesses creating the roles, and that means talking to supply-chain employers, or efforts to rebuild the talent pipeline risk becoming ineffective.

According to the 2024 CITB Apprenticeship report, SME engagement in apprentice placements is critically low. With 90% of construction companies in the UK employing fewer than 10 workers, the industry risks falling further behind. The CITB has backed the Government’s proposed Growth and Skills Levy to replace the current Apprenticeship Levy, which is said to allow employers to access broader training options and align with current skills demands.

Danny Clarke, engagement director at CITB, said: “It’s encouraging to see so many young people eager to start careers in construction, but these numbers also highlight the urgent need for more employers to offer apprenticeship opportunities.

“Our New Entrant Support Teams with Go Construct’s new careers portal, set to launch later this month, is actively working with Seddon. This new platform will enable apprentice applicants to upload CVs, create profiles, and search for opportunities, while employers can advertise roles and find candidates. Seddon will be writing to all unsuccessful applicants, encouraging them to join the portal, and our new entrant support team will help match them to suitable employers.”

“It’s heartbreaking to think we could lose these enthusiastic, capable individuals,” Hodkinson adds.  “With 31% of applicants already holding a construction qualification, there’s a real risk they may move to other sectors. We are having conversations with our supply chain, public sector clients with direct labour, and our contacts in skills, education, and employment to try and connect these apprentice candidates with employers.

The wide range of apprenticeships on offer at Seddon included roles for bricklayers, electricians, joiners, painters, plasterers, plumbers, site managers, estimators, and quantity surveyors, and were based across the North West and the Midlands. Seddon is calling on the industry to take greater responsibility and seize the opportunity to invest in its future workforce.

Employers and applicants can register interest in the Go Construct career portal here: https://www.goconstruct.org/news-and-features/what-is-go-construct-careers.