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Builders hiring apprentices predicted to rise by 9%

The proportion of Scottish builders recruiting apprentices is expected to rise by 9 per cent over the next year, new statistics show.

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Homes Work campaign Inside Housing

The latest Scottish Construction Monitor, a quarterly survey of Scottish Building Federation members, also found that three out of four construction companies think more apprentices are needed to meet both current industry demand and future expectations.

However a perceived shortage of suitable candidates is a barrier to companies recruiting more apprentices now.

Recent Scottish Building Apprenticeship and Training Council figures revealed the number of Scottish construction apprentices registered in 2013 increased by 11 per cent compared with 2012, taking the total number to 1,448.

The SBF publication, which coincides with Scottish Apprenticeship Week, found industry confidence had risen for a fourth consecutive quarter to a new high of plus 22.

Vaughan Hart, managing director of the SBF, welcomed the continuing rise in confidence and the increase in companies looking to take on apprentices, but highlighted employers’ concerns that there is a perceived shortage of suitable candidates.

He added: ‘We need to see action at secondary and even primary school level to encourage more young people to think seriously about a career in construction and to make that a truly aspirational option for them. We need to get the message across that there are exciting and rewarding long-term career opportunities in the construction industry and an apprenticeship is one of the best ways of pursuing that goal.’

Inside Housing’s Homes Work campaign, which is promoting apprenticeships and training in the housing and construction sectors, is supporting the creation of a web resource that schools and colleges can use to find out about opportunities offered by housing providers.

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