Columnist

Apprenticeships: Numbers without standards risks safety

The Government’s new training strategy trumpets 10,000 extra apprenticeships a year.

But beneath the headlines lies a troubling trade‑off: quantity without quality.

By lowering assessment standards, cutting advanced pathways and ignoring collapsing completion rates, ministers risk undermining the very skills the built environment depends on.

Construction is not a sector where shortcuts can be tolerated.

Compressing apprenticeships into eight months may produce qualified workers on paper, but not in practice.

Grenfell remains a stark reminder of what happens when competence is compromised.

If joiners cannot properly adjust fire doors, or electricians are rushed through training, the consequences are not just poor workmanship – they are matters of life and death.

The traditional two‑year NVQ day‑release model works.

It produces competent tradespeople because it combines classroom learning with real‑world experience.

What it lacks is Government support for the companies who invest in apprenticeships.

Instead of chasing headline numbers, ministers should reinforce the proven model and reward firms who commit to training.

There is room for innovation; bootcamps can provide a useful introduction to construction and health and safety.

But they must be a gateway, not a substitute.

Apprenticeships are about building skill, not ticking boxes.

Without that recognition, the UK risks flooding the market with underprepared workers while starving it of the highly-skilled professionals our industry – and our safety – depends on.

Tim Barrett is chair of Construction Alliance North East

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