THE high dropout rate of apprenticeships in the built environment was explored at a recent Edinburgh roundtable event featuring key industry figures.
Held at the National Museum of Scotland, 13 industry professionals gathered to debate Scotland’s construction skills crisis.
The event, chaired by Rachel Colgan, founding director of property PR agency Building Relations, laid bare the impact of the number of construction-related apprentices leaving before completing, as well as those who quit within 24 months of qualifying.
Recent figures from the British Association of Construction Heads (BACH) highlighted a 47% drop out rate for construction apprentices across the UK. This meant only 8,620 construction apprentices reached End Point Assessment (EPA) in 2022/23. The data also shows that significantly more construction apprentices drop out after 24 months compared to other apprenticeships (17% compared to just 6% in other sectors).
Responding to the question: ‘Are existing qualifications and apprenticeships still fit for purpose,’ speakers shared personal experiences around training and retaining apprentices, including an example of a young worker who left their trade-based apprenticeship in favour of a better-paying role in the hospitality sector.
Reasons for the high dropout rate cited by speakers included: low pay, demanding job with long hours, young workers wanting the ‘big job’ before putting in the hard graft, perceptions of working in construction being a job rather than a career, lack of promotion of opportunities in school career advice, post-covid generation seeking a better work/life balance, and recruitment drives not inspiring the next generation.
Research by Skills Development Scotland shows only 8% of people aged 16–18 in Scotland said they would seriously consider a construction career.
Possible solutions to the crisis outlined by speakers included: outreach to schools with a particular focus on targeting underrepresented groups including girls and care-experienced youngsters, provide real progression maps from entry-level to higher technical or management roles, shorter and hands-on learning wins over traditional full-time courses, and tie learning to real community projects to show purpose and local impact.
Mike Pratt, co-founder and director of InverTay Homes and Timber Engineering UK, listed a number of reasons why he thought apprentices struggled in the construction industry, including: lower wages during training, apprentice courses taking too long to qualify, a growing desire from young people to work reduced hours in pursuit of a better work/life balance, as well as unrealistic wage growth expectations and a gap between industry need and college curriculum.
He added, “Our industry is in desperate need of upskilling an aging workforce as well as a steady intake of young apprentices. We need radical change in the industry to reverse the downward trajectory of apprenticeships and the ‘brain drain’ from the construction industry. There are going to be massive labour shortages for the foreseeable future so we cannot afford to be training people up, just to see them leave the industry straight away. We need a targeted and progressive approach to plug the gaps and ensure the next generation of school leavers want to enter an industry that values them.”
The wider purpose of the roundtable was to examine the skills crisis Scotland’s construction sector is currently facing amidst growing housing demand and net zero targets.
Other topics discussed included how to prepare the workforce for net zero, new ways to attract people into construction trades and what is needed from Scottish Government, CITB, SDS, or others to unlock progress.
The general consensus was that despite many challenges, the industry in Scotland offers a rewarding career path with strong job prospects, diverse opportunities, and the chance to contribute to the country’s infrastructure and sustainable development.
Following the event, Rachel Colgan said, “The roundtable conversation highlighted a stark reality: Scotland’s construction sector is grappling with a critical skills shortage, made worse by the high dropout rate among young apprentices. But it also made one thing clear, if we want lasting change, we need to create an environment where young people feel supported and valued. This way young people will be able to understand the amazing career opportunities available to them in this industry.”
Jocelyne Fleming, senior policy and public affairs officer for CIOB in Scotland, added, “Scotland’s construction sector offers rewarding careers that make a positive difference to the country. Our recent survey revealed nearly 75% of young people in Scotland view the construction industry positively, but nearly half were never introduced to it as a potential career path during education.
“We urgently need to strengthen the existing workforce and build a robust talent pipeline. That requires a government-led, strategic, and long-term plan, one that identifies the future demands of our built environment, defines the skills and expertise needed to meet them, and ensures we have the resources to attract, train, and retain the people who will deliver it.”
Guests at the roundtable included: Lauren Pennycook (CITB); Mike Pratt (InverTay Homes and Timber Engineering UK); Steven Kiakowski (The Verdancy Group); Colin Jack (Places for People); Gordon Nelson (Federation of Master Builders Scotland); Jim Baxter (Allanwater Homes); Laura McGuigan (Kier Construction and chair of Women in Property); Matt Colgan (Sustainabuild); Frazer Walker (Fife College); Mairi Murray (BakerHicks); Jocelyne Fleming (Chartered Institute of Building); and Professor Robert Hairstans (Edinburgh Napier University).
