New apprenticeship programme offers faster training to support skilled workforce in London and the Home Counties.
The Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) has introduced an accelerated apprenticeship scheme designed to tackle the pressing skills shortage in construction trades critical to heritage and listed building projects across London, Greater London, and the Home Counties. The programme condenses traditional training from two to three years into just 14 to 18 months through intensive early-stage instruction, block-release learning, and on-site experience.
This initiative targets regions including Hertfordshire and Kent within the Home Counties, where demand for skilled tradespeople such as bricklayers, carpenters, and roofers is particularly acute. The faster training timeline aims to increase apprenticeship uptake and improve completion rates, ultimately supplying the sector with a more resilient workforce capable of meeting the unique challenges of heritage construction.
From a construction management perspective, this accelerated pathway offers opportunities to mitigate project delays often caused by labour shortages in specialised trades. However, it also requires careful oversight to ensure that the compressed training period does not compromise the high standards of workmanship essential in listed building restoration and conservation.
Effective management must balance the urgency of skills supply with rigorous quality control, supporting apprentices with mentoring and continuous professional development. Atico Solutions recognises that well-structured training combined with experienced supervision is vital to maintain heritage integrity while responding to the evolving demands of the construction sector in London and the Home Counties.
Source: Construction Management
Led by Trevor Read and Dillan Gandhi, Atico Solutions is a high-end construction management and procurement company. Learn more here.