Apprenticeship slump shows need for reform, says FMB

Apprenticeships are on the wane, having decreased by more than a third in November 2017 compared to the same period the year previous.

This surprising news, which comes courtesy of the Department for Education’s ‘Apprenticeship and Levy Statistics‘ report, has prompted renewed calls for reform of the controversial apprenticeship levy. Among the dissenting voices is the Federation of Master Builders (FMB).

“The disappointing results show a 35% drop in apprenticeship starts in November 2017.” said Brian Berry, Chief Executive of the FMB. “These are not finalised figures, but even allowing for a certain degree of change, this looks like a clear downward turn in new apprenticeships.

“Unfortunately, this is not altogether surprising given the intrinsic flaws in how the apprenticeship levy works. The lack of flexibility in the value of vouchers which large employers are able to pass down the supply chain to smaller subcontractors who work for them is a key issue.

“At present only 10% of vouchers are able to be passed down, however larger construction firms do not tend to directly employ large numbers of on-site tradespeople. This means that there is a real danger that these vouchers are not being spent on training the key skills that the industry so desperately needs.”

It’s a worrisome trend, especially considering the construction industry’s prevailing skills shortage. According to Mr Berry: “In the long term, the only way we will be able to address the chronic skills crisis that is impacting the whole sector is by recruiting and training more new entrants. It is imperative that we make moves to iron out the flaws in the apprentice levy, given that more than two-thirds of small and medium-sized firms (SMEs) in construction are facing difficulties hiring bricklayers. This has increased by nearly 10% in just three months which demonstrates the swift worsening of an already dismal situation.

“What’s more, with the UK set to leave the EU in just over a year’s time, and our access to EU workers in doubt, the next few years will bring extraordinary challenges to the construction industry. It’s only through close collaboration between the government and the construction sector that we will be able to overcome issues such as the skills crisis.”

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