Damian Walters, chief executive of the British Institute of KBB installation, has welcomed news that the Government has announced major changes to apprenticeships and pledged to create 120,000 new apprenticeship and training opportunities for construction workers, engineers and other trades in the UK.
Walters said: "It feels like momentuum is building and that the much-needed focus and investment in construction careers for young people is closer than is has been for some time."
He added: "We have worked tirelessly over many years to raise awareness of the skills shortage and to promote apprenticeships as a solution to the ever-gorwing problem. We fully support this move – it is very much a step in the right direction and, if executed alongside changes to support micro-SMEs to take on an apprentice, it will make a tangible difference to the fitted interiors sector, which offers many opportunities for young people to learn a trade and earn a wage."
Under the new plans, Sir Keir Starmer's training hike will include a budget of more than £3bn in this financial year and an extra 30,000 apprenticeships in the next 4 years.
"For a long time there has been a lot of talk about the problem and little action to create a solution," Walters continued. "But it does feel like there is now a real shift in focus, and there is still time to fix the problem, but we must act now to build a sustainable future for our industry and thousands of young people across the UK."
