Foreword
Skills: The building blocks for growth and opportunity
Giving businesses and SMEs more flexibility to invest in the skills and training they need in their teams, as well as take on apprentices, is an important step in unblocking the skills system and meeting changing skills needs. At Checkatrade, we see huge potential for SMEs to play a part in this, and with the right support and incentives, SMEs could become key drivers for skills. This report presents a diagnosis of the challenges we face and recommendations to overcome those barriers to opportunity. Collective will and action from industry and government can secure the promise of skills for future generations here in the UK.
The trade and construction sector sits at the heart of the national mission to get Britain building, reach net zero and drive economic growth. From plumbers and electricians to roofers and carpenters, there will be huge opportunities for careers and job creation in building the skilled workforce we need to deliver these targets.
But the UK is facing a chronic skills shortage.
Our Trade Skills Index 2024 reveals the need to find 1.3 million new recruits and 350,000 apprentices over the next ten years. An ageing workforce and a growing demand for trade skills is creating a perfect storm that as an industry we need to address. In my role as CEO of Checkatrade, I have the privilege of visiting schools and colleges across the country and discussing opportunities with the trades. I can see the huge amount of untapped potential there is. This is the next generation of tradespeople that we need to attract as an industry with the promise of well-paid careers. Yet the thing I hear most commonly is that there aren’t enough apprenticeships on offer. And this is true - data from the government shows that applications for apprenticeships exceed supply by three to one. The other issue is that existing apprenticeships are overly prescriptive.
Jambu Palaniappan CEO, Checkatrade
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