Apprenticeships are crucial in bridging the widening skills gap and boosting productivity for firms. This is why the Government has been working with employers to deliver the skills they need to succeed now and in the future. We are committed to developing three million more apprenticeships across the economy by 2020 and reforming the system to make it easier for employers to develop new apprenticeships that address their skills needs.
The industry already has a wide range of apprenticeships available from architecture and surveying to brickwork and plastering, and there are more being developed which incorporate the latest digital techniques and use of off-site construction. Colleges such as York and Dudley are leading the way in new facilities and capabilities to train apprentices that can help unleash the potential of UK construction.
Promoting the business benefits of apprenticeships to employers is vital. As both Minister for Skills, and Minister for Construction, I am therefore delighted to lend my support to the ambitions of the CCATF.
