News and features

Thu, 14 May 2009

Apprenticeships boosted by college construction scheme

The Building Colleges for the Future scheme is equipping construction apprentices with on-site experience.

Many construction apprentices are gaining valuable experience through the Building Colleges for the Future scheme, according to skills secretary John Denham.

New figures from the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills show that 500 apprentices have been involved on college construction sites in the UK over the past year.

A survey conducted in December 2008 found that one in 20 workers on college building sites are currently apprentices.

More than £2.3 billion has been invested in the Building Colleges for the Future programme, with over 250 construction projects now underway throughout the country.

Mr Denham said that companies who work on the scheme must have an established training plan to ensure they "maximise the availability of apprenticeships".

"This ensures we get maximum value and training opportunities out of every penny of public investment going into our colleges," he explained.

"Apprenticeships are rightly valued for providing employers with a well-trained workforce which can help them prepare for the upturn when it comes."

Government figures state that about 10,000 people are currently employed on Building Colleges for the Future sites as builders, surveyors, engineers and architects.

According to data from the Learning and Skills Council (LSC), the average college will attract an extra 111 learners for every additional £1 million spent.

The LSC recently allocated £32 million in funding to continue the redevelopment of Coulsdon College in south London.

Principal David Goodlet told the Croydon Advertiser that the benefits of the project would "be felt by students and the community for years to come".

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