Warning of skills shortage despite apprenticeship rise

Despite a 45% increase in the number of people signing up to construction apprenticeships, the Constuction Industry Federation has warned that there will be major skills shortages in the sector in years to come unless more apprentices are secured.

CIF said it was a positive trend that between 2013 and 2014, the number of new trainees increased by 660 to 2,100.

However, it pointed out that there were some skills where there were few if any new apprentices.