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New skills hubs to fast-track construction apprenticeships

32 Homebuilding Skills Hubs, scheduled to launch by 2028, will deliver fast-track training to local areas that need more housing.

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5,000 more construction apprenticeship places will be made available per year due to a £140m industry investment to boost building.

A total of 32 new Homebuilding Skills Hubs, scheduled to launch by 2028, will deliver fast-track training to local areas that need more housing, while giving apprentices skills to boost housebuilding in the UK.

The purpose-built hubs will provide a realistic working environment for training for key construction trades, including bricklayers, roofers, plasterers, scaffolders, electricians, carpenters and more.

The Government is working with the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) and the National House-Building Council (NHBC) to launch them.

Working with Skills England to identify the areas that need construction workers the most, the Government aims to ensure employers have access to high quality apprenticeship training, kickstarting economic growth and creating jobs across England. 

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The fast-track apprenticeships offered by the hubs can be completed in 12 to 18 months, up to half the time of a traditional 24 to 30-month construction apprenticeship.

Minister for Skills Baroness Jacqui Smith said: “This Government is committed to 1.5 million homes being built across this Parliament, while breaking down barriers to opportunity by fixing our broken skills system.

“If we are to meet this ambitious target and fix the foundations of our economy, we need to ensure we have a skilled workforce, and give more apprentices a foot on the career ladder.

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“The need to boost our country’s skills is crucial to our mission-driven government, and I am pleased that this initiative will give apprentices skills to seize opportunity.”

Last week, Baroness Smith hosted a roundtable with MHCLG’s Housing Minister Matthew Pennycook MP, DBT’s Minister for Industry Sarah Jones MP, and Social Security and Disability Minister Stephen Timms MP from DWP to discuss how Government departments can work together with industry to reach our shared goals of more good-quality homes being built.

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On 22nd November, the Skills Minister visited students at Oldham College to find out how these hubs would help them to develop their skills.

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Minister of State for Housing and Planning Matthew Pennycook said: “A skilled and efficient construction sector is essential to building 1.5 million new homes in this Parliament.

“This new funding will help to grow, upskill and diversify the housing workforce and deliver the government’s housebuilding target.”

Roger Morton, director of business change and NHBC’s training hubs, said: “Our £100m investment in a national network of 12 NHBC Multi-Skills Training Hubs will train quality apprentices and help shape the future of UK house building.

“Our expert facilities will shake-up the industry starting with training in critical areas including bricklaying, groundwork and site carpentry.

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“NHBC’s hubs are designed to be flexible, adapting to local housing needs and regulatory changes.

“Our intensive training will produce skilled tradespeople faster, equipping them to hit the ground running from day one.

“At NHBC, our mission is to ensure every apprentice meets our high standards, delivering quality new homes the UK urgently needs.

“With funding support through the Apprenticeship Levy and generous grants, I’d say to builders and contractors, there’s never been a better time to invest in apprentices.

“It’s an opportunity to grow your workforce while offering talented people a rewarding and well-paid career in this essential industry.”

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Tim Balcon, chief executive of CITB, said: “It is clear that we need to rethink how we train our workforce and be much more agile in our approach.

“We have worked closely with the homebuilding industry and government to develop a programme that is focussed on equipping individuals with the skills they need to be productive on site, in the most efficient way.

“This is truly a collaborative approach and one we are very excited about.

“This investment to launch 32 Homebuilding Skills Hubs will help meet the homebuilding targets while flattening peaks in demand for construction skills on homebuilding across the country.”

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