Bricklaying apprenticeship training hub to combat skills gap and housing shortage
A new apprenticeship Training Hub in Bransholme, Hull, designed to deliver the next generation of skilled house builders in the North has been unveiled by NHBC, a new home warranty and insurance provider.
The NHBC Training Hub is in partnership with EN:Able Futures, a flexi-job apprenticeship provider and part of Efficiency North Holdings.
Training 50 apprentices all year round to qualify in as little as 18 months, the facility will provide apprentices with a realistic working environment and initially focus on bricklaying.
NHBC CEO, Steve Wood, said: “Bricklaying is at the heart of housebuilding and a hugely important skill. An ageing workforce means we must find ways to encourage more people to come into housebuilding, with bricklaying being an excellent pathway into a rewarding and well-paid career.
“I am proud NHBC is committed to supporting the next generation of housebuilders.
“It’s fantastic to see them at the NHBC Training Hub where apprentices are equipped with the skills they need to build high-quality new homes, with this helping to close the skills gap and address the UK’s housing shortage.”
Since becoming a registered apprenticeship provider in 2020, around 400 people have progressed through NHBC’s bricklaying and construction site supervisor programmes.
Alice Clay, 18, from Patrington, Hull, was the first female to recently gain her level 2 bricklaying apprenticeship with a Distinction at an NHBC Training Hub.
Clay, who is now employed by housebuilder Keepmoat, said: “I knew I wanted a practical job, so the NHBC apprenticeship training programme was perfect.
“There’s a lot to learn but the NHBC Apprenticeship Training Hub means I can learn each part and apply it immediately back on site.
“I get all the support and feedback I need from my tutor at the NHBC Hub. It makes a real difference that he’s worked in the industry for years himself. I’ve enjoyed meeting lots of new people too and, of course, I’m getting paid whilst I’m learning, plus I now have a skill for life.”
The NHBC Apprenticeship Training Hub, in Wawne Road, is the fourth dedicated training facility by the insurance and warranty provider, which is training the next generation of housebuilders.
Lee Parkinson, chief executive of Efficiency North, said: “As an organisation, we are continually striving to provide better opportunities for the North of England, and the partnership we have established with the NHBC Training Hub is pivotal to our offering.
“It’s not only about supporting individuals through their bricklaying apprenticeships to gain a qualification, but it’s also equally important they have the skills and knowledge to translate what they learn into a real site environment – which is what the NHBC Training Hub does so well.”
