NEW analysis by Protrade reveals a 1.5% increase in new construction apprentices for 2024/25, representing the first year of growth since the 2021/22 peak.
Following back to back years of declines in new entrants to the sector, including a 5.9% decrease in 2022/23 and 1.2% drop in 2023/24, this reversal in trend represents a positive story for the construction industry.
However, despite this growth, it may still fall short of government’s ambitious house-building and renovation programmes. The Construction Industry Trading Board forecasted last year that an additional 240,000 construction workers would be required by 2030 to keep pace with construction targets.
Against this backdrop, the latest growth in 2024/25 (24,590 new apprentices) represent just over half (51%) of the roughly 48,000 new recruits the sector actually needs to hit each year.
As a result, the construction sector has work to do in order to significantly expand the uptake of construction apprenticeships.
Key findings from the Protrade Construction Apprenticeship report:
- 2024/25 represents the first year of growth in construction apprenticeships since 2021/22, with 24,590 new apprentices, an increase of 1.5% on the year prior
- Record year for females beginning a construction apprenticeship, with a 9% increase and 2,630 female new entrants – women now account for 1 in 10 construction apprentices
- 2,270 new apprentices from ethnic minority backgrounds, representing an 18% increase on 2023/24 levels
- East Midlands is the fastest growing region for new construction apprentices (8% growth), while North West leads overall with most apprentices (4,240)
- London ranks the lowest for new construction apprentices (1,980) despite 3% increase.
Despite signs of stabilisation, apprenticeship numbers are still significantly short of the levels required to meet long-term workforce demand, particularly in light of ongoing housing and infrastructure targets.
The latest 2024/25 data shows a modest recovery in construction apprenticeship starts, with 24,590 new apprentices enrolling in 2024/25, a 1.5% increase on the previous year. While this marks a reversal of the year-on-year decline seen since the 2021/22 peak, overall intake remains 5.6% below post-pandemic highs.
As a result, this uptick must be taken with a pinch of salt, as it falls far short of the 48,000 new construction workers required by the sector each year to tackle the employment gap that remains.
Female participation in construction apprenticeships has continued to rise, with 2,630 women starting apprenticeships in 2024/25, a 9% increase on the previous year and the highest figure on record.
Women now account for 10.7% of all new construction apprentices, up from 10.0% in 2023/24. This growth contrasts with relatively flat male recruitment, indicating recent increases in total apprenticeship numbers are being driven largely by improved female participation rather than broader sector growth.
Apprenticeship starts among younger age groups has shown limited growth, with 16-18 year old intake remaining broadly flat year-on-year. Notably, the number of 18-year-olds started to increase slightly in 2024/25, reversing declines seen in previous years.
Those aged 19-24 remain the dominant entry group, accounting for over a third (35%) of new apprentices, and showing modest growth of 3% in 2024/25. Older age groups (35+) continue to represent a small but gradually growing share of new starters. - 2024/25 also saw a record increase for new apprentices entering the construction sector from ethnic backgrounds, with 2,270 new starters, representing an 18% year-on-year rise. This brings the total number of apprentices from ethnic backgrounds to nearly double (+88%) 2018/19 levels, marking a renewed improvement in diversity intake following only a small increase in 2023/24.
- The North West remains the UK’s leading region for construction apprenticeship starts, recording nearly 5% growth year-on-year. Strong growth was also seen in the East Midlands, which recorded the fastest percentage increase of any region, growing by 8%.
- In contrast, several southern regions – including the southeast and east England – experienced declines, highlighting an increasingly uneven regional recovery.
- While London remains the lowest-ranking region overall, its 2.6% growth in 2024/25 suggests early signs of stabilisation after several weak years.