Surge in number of construction apprentices

The number of new apprentices is expected to be double the 2012 figure — with the biggest surge in trades linked to construction.

Of 3,000 people expected to be registered in apprenticeships this year, 700 will be in the most traditional crafts associated with building. New apprentice carpenters, for example, are forecasted to rise from 91, in 2012, to 240 this year.

Brick and stonelaying apprentice numbers reached 15 in the first five months of this year, compared to just three for all of 2013, and may rise to 30 by the end of the year.