At the end of last year, the government announced a major investment aimed at increasing apprenticeship starts for young people and better aligning skills training with local job opportunities.
While this may sound positive on paper, for construction employers it is unlikely, on its own, to shift the dial.
The reality is that construction’s skills shortage cannot be solved by school leavers alone. Upskilling the next generation is vital.
But an approach that only prioritises younger entrants risks overlooking a large pool of motivated, capable people who want to retrain, reskill or change careers later in life.
Policy focuses too much on under-25s
Construction relies on a skilled workforce that can respond to changing project demands. Yet the apprenticeship system often struggles to reflect this reality. The core barrier is not training quality, but the risk placed on employers operating on low margins and with poor pipeline visibility.
Recent policy initiatives have been focused on under-25s, with routes such as T Levels largely pitched at school leavers. While these pathways still have a role to play, they do little to support experienced adults who want to transition into construction, or employers seeking lower-risk, job-ready entrants.
For many employers, the absence of targeted support for older apprentices makes it even harder to justify investment, even when there is a clear skills need. As a result, the system unintentionally excludes a group that could improve productivity and workforce stability.
Mature apprentices bring more ‘soft skills’
Research by recruitment company Michael Page shows that the most common age for a career change is 31. Those in their late 20s, 30s and beyond bring transferable skills, workplace maturity and a strong understanding of what they want from their next role.
In a high-risk sector like construction, mature apprentices often pose less risk. They typically have a stronger awareness of safety and site discipline, reducing the likelihood of accidents and early attrition.
Mature apprentices bring valuable transferable skills, communication, reliability, problem-solving and teamwork. These are commonly labelled “soft skills”, but some of the hardest to master and among the most critical skills on site.
Apprenticeships give these individuals a structured route into construction, and the chance to explore new roles and learn practical skills on the job without starting from scratch. It allows employers to access capability, not just potential.
How to fix the system
To transform apprenticeships into a genuine workforce solution, the system must move beyond one-size-fits-all policies. Supporting young people into construction should remain a priority, but incentivising employment, rather than penalising employers, is essential.
That means reducing administrative burdens, introducing clearer and more flexible funding incentives, and recognising the true cost and risk employers carry. Without reform to construction procurement, where contracts often prioritise the lowest price over quality and good employment practices, apprenticeship policy will continue to fall short.
Crucially, apprenticeships must be positioned as a lifelong pathway, not a scheme tied to age brackets. Only then can the notion that apprenticeships work for every generation be realised.
Change can ensure homes and key infrastructure get built
Construction faces ambitious targets, from housing delivery to public sector infrastructure, at a time when skilled labour is increasingly hard to secure. Meeting those challenges requires a broader, more inclusive approach to training.
Apprenticeships cannot be viewed solely as a route for the young. They must support people at every stage of life – and employers at every stage of the economic cycle.
By embracing a multi-generational model, policymakers and employers alike can help create a more resilient, experienced and diverse workforce – one capable of supporting the long-term health of the construction sector.
All Sectors need that mix, it is hard to fathom how those developing the current policy have come to their conclusions, does make you question the life experiences that have had.