Construction: Revitalise your workforce with apprenticeships. Recruit now for September starts.

Recruit now for September starts!

The construction industry in the UK has long been a key contributor to the country's economy, with many skilled workers employed in the sector. However, with challenges like employee retention and the fact that many of trade professionals approach retirement age, there is a growing need to make sure that the crucial skills and experiences are not lost and passed on to the future generation of workers.

Future-proof your business with apprenticeships

Apprenticeships is a tried and true method of developing skilled tradesmen and attracting younger workforce to the sector. While giving apprentices access to valuable expertise and skills from older experienced workers, they also allow fresh new ideas and perspective to enter the business, thus driving innovation that benefits your organisation and strengthens the industry as a whole.  

We have been training the construction workforce in the county for over 30 years and have seen many of our apprentices excel and even start their own companies; with time, recruiting their own apprentices to keep their business current.

Our apprenticeship programmes are designed to meet the skills needs of the sector and provide a structured and supervised learning environment meaning that your workers are trained to meet changing industry standards from day one.

We continuously update our training to meet the needs of local companies and have invested in industry-compliant training facilities in Cheltenham and Gloucester for groundworks, bricklaying, carpentry, electrical, property maintenance and plumbing, where learners develop their knowledge, behaviours and skills to prepare them for the demands of the industry while working towards industry-valued qualifications.

Our new Sustainable Construction Centre in Cheltenham opened its doors in September 2024, now offering increased capacity for apprenticeships in carpentry, groundworks, and electrical trades. 

Watch the video to find out more about how Barnwood Ltd uses apprenticeships to benefit both business and apprentice.

What about the cost?

For levy payers:

All employers with a wage bill of over £3 million per annum are required to pay 0.5% of their total wage bill into the Apprenticeship Levy. The Levy can be used to train new and existing staff through Apprenticeship Training. At the end of the financial year, the levy resets - so use it or lose it.

For non-levy payers:

Non-levy payers can take advantage of Government funding with 95% of course costs funded. You'll only need to contribute 5% to the cost of apprenticeship training.

The government will fully fund apprenticeship training for SMEs with apprentices aged 16-21, who started their training after 1 August 2024.

National Insurance Contributions (NICs) Relief

Did you know that employers are exempt from paying Class 1 National Insurance Contributions for apprentices under 25, provided they earn less than £967 per week and are on an approved UK government apprenticeship standard?

With the recent announcement of an increase in employer National Insurance contributions from 13.8% to 15%, effective from April 2025, apprenticeships could be the smart solution for affordable business growth and staff development. 

Now is a perfect time to discuss your training needs

We are entering a busy time of the year when we prepare for September starts of our popular construction and trade apprenticeships. If you are considering recruiting a new apprentice or have a member of staff with a potential to grow, now is a good time to get in touch with our Employer Training & Apprenticeships team to discuss your training needs and funding available.  

To see all our Construction and Building Services apprenticeships, visit this page.

Contact Employer Training & Apprenticeships on employer.training@gloscol.ac.uk or 0345 155 2020