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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Four former employees were treated to a VIP visit to JCB to mark the 60^th anniversary of their recruitment as the company’s first ever apprentices.

A total of nine 15-year-old boys started as Craft Apprentices at the Rocester plant in 1964 and yesterday four of them – Chris Carnwell, Nigel Heinich, Mick Higgs, and Keith Hepden – retraced their footsteps to the factory to mark the diamond anniversary of the JCB apprenticeship programme. They were welcomed by JCB Chairman Anthony Bamford, who also started work at JCB in 1964.

The quartet were trailblazers for JCB’s apprenticeship scheme, which currently has around 300 apprentices on scheme and in the last 12 years alone has seen JCB recruit 1,500 apprentices. When they started work, they were earning £3 a week. During their visit they were given a tour of the Story of JCB exhibition, met some of JCB’s newest apprentices and were given a special VIP lunch.

Lord Bamford, who served an engineering apprenticeship in France before joining JCB in 1964, said: “The recruitment of our first apprentices 60 years ago laid very firm foundations for the future. We have recruited hundreds of apprentices since those early days and many of them have gone on to senior positions in the company. It really is a fantastic way to start a career.”

Chris Carnwell, now 75, of Tean, near Cheadle, Staffordshire, retired from JCB in 2008 after nearly 45 years with the company.  He qualified as a tool maker after his apprenticeship and ended his career as a senior engineer. He said:  “When I was at school, I was always very good at woodwork and metalwork and used to come top of the class in that field. I wanted to do something to use those practical skills and enquired about getting a position at JCB which, in 1964, was still an up-and-coming company. I had two interviews and was lucky enough to be selected for an apprenticeship along with two others, Billy Brighouse, and John Millward. I’m very proud of the fact that my apprenticeship indentures were signed by JCB’s founder Joseph Cyril Bamford and I still have them to this day. My apprenticeship really was superb and set me up for life.”

class of 1964 pictured left to right: John Smith, Mick Higgs, Nigel Heinich, Geoff Mellor, Keith Hepden, Chris Carnwell, Don Rushton, Johnny Millward, Billy Brighouse, and JCB Founder Joseph Cyril Bamford.

Six other apprentices then joined JCB throughout 1964: John Smith, Mick Higgs, Geoff Mellor, Keith Hepden, Don Rushton, and Nigel Heinich. Nigel, 75, of Uttoxeter, joined JCB on August 31^st, 1964 said: “Mr Bamford was very proud of that first apprentice intake and he paid particular interest in our progress.  For most of us, out of our first wage packet, we had to buy our first pair of steel-capped, toe-tector boots, which we had to wear in the college workshops or the factory. To identify that we were apprentices, we all had to wear white overalls emblazoned with a large  red JCB logo on the back, with another on the pocket. I also remember were given a book of one-shilling daily tickets (five pence in today’s money) towards our canteen lunch. This covered half the cost of a main course and a pudding. I went on to work for JCB for more than 35 years in many different roles including service technical clerk, training instructor, service supervisor. Sixty years on, it’s a route I’d highly recommend any young person to follow. It sets you up for life.”

Mick Higgs, 75, of Wetley Rocks, Stoke-on-Trent, went on to work for JCB 38 years and rose to the position of Director and worked for several years for JCB in India.  He said: “Starting an apprenticeship at JCB really did lay some fantastic foundations for my career and opened up a world of opportunity for me including working for the company in both India and Germany. Apprenticeships are a route I would recommend to any young person without any hesitation.”

Keith Hepden, 75, of Foxt, near Cheadle, said: “When I started work at JCB there were around 500 people working there and we all knew one another. One of my favourite memories of those early days was actually a time when I was off ill and my mother spotted Mr JCB’s Cadillac coming up the drive and it turned out to be one of the company’s chauffeurs delivering my wages which were paid in cash those days!”

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Beal Homes apprentice joiner Erin Symons, 17, has won Construction Centre Apprentice of the Year in awards run by her regional training provider Hull Training and Adult Education.

Erin Symons joined Beal last year and is undertaking a two-year level two carpentry and joinery apprenticeship, learning her craft under the mentorship of the company’s experienced team. Erin has previously won Beal’s internal Apprentice of the Year award.

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