CITB extends covid-19 support for apprentices

The Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) has offered support to find a new employer for any construction apprentice who has lost their job or apprenticeship through the covid-19 pandemic.

The move means that around 11,000 apprentices across
construction are now eligible for help, more than the 7,000 currently
contracted with the CITB.

The apprentices will be able to benefit from:

• job redeployment services, including through the Construction Talent Retention Scheme
• reallocation of grant funding to a new employer to help apprentices to complete their training if at risk
• the apprenticeships information and reporting app
• pastoral support
• shared apprenticeship schemes

Around a quarter of construction’s 11,000 apprentices across
the country are furloughed, while 60% of construction companies in the
Construction Leadership Council’s People Survey said they would take on fewer
apprentices at the next intake later this year.

CITB has a dedicated support team that will look to find a
new employer for any displaced apprentice, through local industry contacts or
by registering them with the Construction Leadership Council’s
recently-launched Construction Talent Retention Scheme, which redeploys
displaced apprentices and industry operatives.

If an employer is unable to help an apprentice complete
their training amid current circumstances, CITB will help to find a new
employer and also reallocate grant funding to them to support training through
to completion, and with the help of Further Education (FE) partners and
providers also assist with employment opportunities. 

To prevent apprentice redundancies and encourage more
employers to take them on, CITB is investing a total of £1m in shared
apprenticeship schemes in England, Scotland and Wales. Under the scheme, apprentices
are placed with different construction companies, providing a range of
experience and skills while allowing employers to continue supporting
apprenticeships through short-term placements.

CITB is also exploring with industry, government and the
Association of Colleges and British Association of Construction Heads how to
adapt the traineeship model for construction. This would form part of a new
transition route from Further Education into employment or a construction
apprenticeship, to support 2,000 FE learners as a pilot scheme in 2021-22.

Deborah Madden, CITB head of apprenticeships, said: “With
significantly fewer apprentices being taken on this year due to Covid-19, CITB
has launched a range of initiatives including job redeployment assistance,
pastoral support, shared apprenticeship schemes, and an employer levy holiday
and discount to keep apprenticeships at the heart of construction. In
partnership with the Construction Leadership Council, these measures are part
of our Skills Stability Plan to support industry through the recovery.”