Regional homebuilder Allison Homes is celebrating the success of its apprenticeship scheme, as it prepares to welcome a new intake to its East and Central regions.

Allison Homes launched its apprenticeship scheme in 2021 and has since trained over 30 apprentices in various trades. As part of the scheme, the developer has formed close partnerships with several colleges, including University Academy Holbeach, Grantham College, Norwich College and colleges within Inspire Education Group, such as Peterborough College and Stamford College, where the housebuilder is also a sponsor of the innovative Modern Methods of Construction Centre.

Last year, a group of six bricklaying and carpentry apprentices joined the company, reinforcing its commitment to developing young talent and tackling the skills shortages within the industry. Earlier this year, apprentice Leoni McDougall won the regional heat of the Guild of Bricklayers Championship, and has now progressed to the national finals in Leeds, taking place this June.

Former apprentice Leland Moore has also recently returned to the company as a Trainee Assistant Site Manager, demonstrating how impactful the scheme can be.

To select the next intake of apprentices, Allison Homes hosted an apprentice selection day for the second consecutive year, after seeing great success in 2025.

On the day, a group of 13 students were welcomed to the company’s Peterborough head office, where they were given a tour and received talks from construction managers, allowing them to learn all about Allison Homes, the wider construction industry and the benefits of undertaking an apprenticeship.

Following the event, five new students have been selected to start an apprenticeship this September, including Kian Bassett from Norwich College. The apprentices will be working on developments across Lincolnshire, Cambridgeshire and Norfolk, enabling them to learn on the job and see first-hand how homes are built from the ground up.

Zoe Evans, HR Director at Allison Homes, said: “We’re incredibly proud of our apprenticeship scheme and always strive to find new, exciting ways to encourage young people to consider construction as a viable industry. Across the business, we’re incredibly committed to investing in young talent and teaching them the essential skills they need to build fulfilling careers.

“Our first apprentice selection day in 2025 was a huge success, so we’re delighted to have hosted the event again this year for new students to tour our office and see what we’re all about. We’re now looking forward to welcoming the next cohort of apprentices, helping to inspire and support the next generation as much as possible.”

Learning at Work Week highlights the importance and benefits of continual learning and development. To find out more, visit https://www.learningatworkweek.com/.

To find out more about Allison Homes, visit https://allison-homes.co.uk/.

For information on starting a career with Allison Homes, visit https://allison-homes.co.uk/careers/.

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The Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) has released updated figures for its New Entrant Support Team (NEST), showing that between the 2025-26 financial year (FY), NEST supported 5,913 apprentices to join the industry across England, Scotland, and Wales. This represents a 43% increase compared to the previous FY.

Additionally, in the 2025-26 financial year, CITB’s NEST engaged with 20,579 employers to discuss apprenticeship recruitment requirements – 6,559 more than the previous FY, a 47% increase. NEST offers hands-on support to employers to help with recruiting new entrants and apprentices, accessing grants and funding, as well as providing ongoing support and employee mentoring.

CITB’s Construction Workforce Outlook finds that we need over 47,000 extra workers every year to meet demand by 2029. Initiatives such as NEST are in place to help build a sustainable and resilient construction workforce that can fulfil the growing requirements expected of the industry.

To secure its future and deliver on national ambitions, the construction industry must invest more in people, modernise its approach to skills and training, and work collaboratively across sectors.

CITB’s Industry Picture 2026, which explores the challenges and opportunities underpinning the industry, finds that if the construction industry continues with the same approach, it will encounter a widening gap between project demand and its capacity to deliver. That’s why NEST helps simplify the process for employers, in turn helping CITB to support the construction industry to attract talent and champion skills development.

LC Lucas Construction said:

“NEST has allowed us to take on our new apprentice without having the impact of having to pay for the apprenticeship, and it has meant we are now considering employing another one.

“The team was a great support to us in among a minefield of information, I didn’t know where to start but they walked me through everything and ‘kept me right’ every step of the way. They simplified the process for me for which I am very grateful.”

Deb Madden, Executive Director, Customer Engagement and Operations, said:

“It’s great to see our New Entrant Support Team making such a difference and supporting so many employers. NEST helps employers navigate the skills system, making the whole process, from recruitment to retention, easier for employers and new entrants by providing them with practical, hands-on guidance.

“We remain committed to continuing our work in supporting employers to build the resilient and skilled workforce that the construction industry needs.”

Find out more about the New Entrant Support Team (NEST) on the CITB website or contact the team directly:

• Call: 0300 456 6431
• Email: team@citb.co.uk

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Fourteen students from a college near Worcester have been given an exclusive tour of a live homebuilding site, experiencing first-hand the skills and careers that go into creating a brand-new community, courtesy of award-winning homebuilder Spitfire Homes.

The year 10 pupils, from Blessed Edward Oldcorne Catholic College, explored the early stages of the active site at Blackthorn in Crowle, where 30 design-led, bespoke homes are currently being delivered, following an engaging assembly delivered recently where many displayed an interest in construction practices.

Led by Spitfire Homes engineer Jack Lea, the group explored everything from sustainability and site safety in modern homebuilding to the wide range of roles in the sector across trades, design, site management, marketing and beyond, and how they all combine to create a collection of brand-new homes.

The session gave pupils a deeper understanding of the full construction process and a visible example of how trades and departments collaborate.

The visit concluded with a Q&A session held in the brand-new Estate Office which opened last month, where students quizzed the team on career pathways, qualifications, skills and routes into the industry.

Jane Holland, Careers Advisor at Blessed Edward Oldcorne Catholic College, said: “Earlier this year, Spitfire Homes visited our school to deliver an engaging assembly to more than 210 pupils, giving them an insight into everything involved in constructing a new homes development.

“Many students were inspired by the presentation and expressed an interest in seeing a site in person, so we were delighted when Spitfire invited us to visit and experience this collaborative process first-hand.

“The construction site visit allowed our students to appreciate the diverse, modern and high‑tech nature of today’s industry. They were able to move beyond traditional stereotypes and discover the wide range of roles involved—from design and engineering to project management and sustainability.

“It offered a valuable, real-world connection to their classroom learning, showing how professional and hands-on careers come together in practice.”

Dave Smith, Managing Director at Spitfire Homes, said: “The construction industry must address the growing need to attract and develop new talent, and it’s important as a collective that we equip the next generation with a clear understanding of the breadth of roles available.

“Visits like this give students opportunities to see this first-hand, and we’re proud to be playing our part in addressing the skills shortage in a practical, engaging way.

“We’ve committed to ensuring that 5% of our total workforce is made up of trainees or graduates – for us, that’s not a target, it’s a reflection of how seriously we take developing young talent.

“Once complete, Blackthorn will be a shining example of excellence in communication, design, and quality. We hope that the students will see the finished site and fondly remember experiencing it in its formative stages.”

For more information or to arrange a viewing, please visit https://spitfirehomes.co.uk/find-your-home/blackthorn/. 

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The number of apprenticeship starts supported has increased by 61% compared to previous period

The Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) has today released its mid-year figures for its New Entrant Support Team (NEST). The figures show that NEST has already supported 1,521 apprenticeship starts between April – September 2025, an increase from 943 in the same period in the previous year.

The figures also show that in the same period this year, 9,201 employers were engaged, with the aim to recruit an apprentice into their business, a 48% increase compared to the same period in 2024. In the last full financial year 2024-25, CITB’s NEST supported 4,000 apprenticeship starts, almost doubling from the previous financial year 2023-24 – and the team is currently on track to outperform this in the 2025-26 financial year.

NEST helps make finding, recruiting and retaining an apprentice or new entrant easier for employers, and works closely with them to remove any barriers they may face employing and retaining new entrants, particularly apprentices.

CITB’s Construction Workforce Outlook report estimates that the UK needs to recruit 47,860 extra workers each year to meet demand for housing, infrastructure and maintenance. For construction to have the workforce it needs in the future, investment in training that supports people into jobs is crucial. This is at the heart of CITB’s Strategic and Business Plans.

As part of the Government’s £600m investment into construction skills, CITB will invest £32 million to fund over 40,000 industry placements each year for all Level 2 and Level 3 learners, those studying NVQs, BTECs, T Levels and advanced apprenticeships. CITB will also double the size of its NEST programme to support SMEs in recruiting, engaging, and retaining apprentices.

Deb Madden, Executive Director, Customer Engagement and Operations, said: “Construction employers need to be confident that they’ve got effective and prompt support available to meet their skills and training needs. NEST is providing exactly that, and it’s great to see the year-on-year increase in the number of employers and learners the team is supporting.

“A strong pipeline of apprentices and construction workers is required to build the millions of homes and hundreds of infrastructure projects needed. We’re really pleased to see how impactful NEST is, and I look forward to seeing the good work continue to give employers access to hands-on, dedicated support.”

Find out more about NEST on the CITB website or contact the team directly:

• Call: 0300 456 6431
• Email: team@citb.co.uk.

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National Federation of Builders (NFB) reacts to Chancellor Rachel Reeves’ £600 million investment to train 60,000 construction apprentices.

Richard Beresford, Chief Executive of the NFB, said: “The Chancellor has followed up her push for planning reform with considerable new funding to train more construction apprentices, demonstrating her understanding that without business certainty and high-quality training, new learners will struggle not only to be trained, but most importantly, to be retained.

As SMEs train 73% of construction apprentices, the Chancellor now needs MHCLG, DEFRA. DESNZ, DfT, and DBT to support her ambitions. These departments must work together to ensure that SMEs, the trainers and retainers, are able to win pipelines of work so they can afford to take on apprentices, support their growth and establish meaningful careers.”

Read more at www.rdr.link/dbc003

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Women starting construction apprenticeships increases by two-thirds since 2018

This data comes from the Construction Industry Training Board, which is urging more women to consider a career in construction and continue the upward trend. The number of women starting construction apprenticeships has risen dramatically in recent years according to the ‘Construction Apprenticeships 2025: Challenges. Opportunities. Support’ report, which found that 1,450 women started a construction apprenticeship in 2018-19, but this has jumped to 2,420 to in 2023-24.

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NHBC announces Brickwork and Construction Site Supervisor Apprentices of the Year

House-building apprentices have been recognised at the National House Building Council’s (NHBC) annual graduation ceremony held at its headquarters in Milton Keynes. Ryley McBride, 17 from Whitkirk, Leeds was awarded NHBC Brickwork Apprentice of the Year and is now building a successful career in construction with Keepmoat. Matthew Griffiths, 36 from Poole, Dorset, who works for Bellway Homes, was awarded NHBC Construction Site Supervisor Apprentice of the Year. Read more.

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