SCOTLAND is recording far more construction apprenticeship starts than London is, new analysis from the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) has revealed.
The data has been published in CITB’s Construction Apprenticeships: Opportunities. Challenges. Support report, which reveals significant regional differences in construction apprenticeship starts and employer participation across Britain.
London has by far the fewest construction apprenticeship starts relative to demand. The report found there are around 30 construction employers for every apprenticeship start in London, compared with fewer than four in Scotland and between six and 20 across other regions.
The contrast between Scotland and London remains stark when apprenticeship starts are compared with the size of the construction workforce. Scotland recorded 42.3 starts per 1,000 construction workers in 2024-25, while London recorded the lowest rate at 8.9 starts per 1,000 workers.
CITB said the findings point to a wider employer participation challenge. London has of the largest concentration of construction businesses in Britain, yet apprenticeship starts are relatively low compared with the number of businesses and the size of the construction workforce. This highlights the scope to support more employers to create apprenticeship opportunities.
The organisation added that the findings make a case for devolved and place-based skills interventions that respond to local labour market conditions. At a time when many young people remain outside education, employment or training, increasing the number of employers able to offer apprenticeships could create more routes into skilled work while helping construction develop its future workforce.
Across Britain, the report shows that around 33,000 people started a construction apprenticeship in 2024-25, but only around 17% of construction businesses are currently employing an apprentice. Additionally, micro businesses – which account for around 95% of the industry – are much less likely to participate. Increasing apprenticeship starts will therefore require practical support to help employers, particularly SMEs, recruit and support apprentices, alongside efforts to improve apprenticeship completion rates.
Lee Bryer, insight manager at CITB, said, “Construction needs skilled people across the whole of Britain, and this report shows striking differences in the scale of opportunity for people to start apprenticeships depending on where they live.
“Apprenticeships are fundamental to the future of construction, and a hard-working apprenticeship is great to have in any business. With many young people also not being in education, employment, or training, apprenticeships can be a fantastic way for them to join the workforce, the sector, the government, and education providers need to come to come together.
“We cannot afford for apprenticeship opportunities to be lower or to be concentrated in only some parts of the country. By making apprenticeships easier to offer, we can create more opportunities locally and build a stronger, more resilient construction workforce.”
