Construction Management is the highest circulation construction-based publication serving the UK built environment.
People
New general builder apprenticeship proposed to address SME skills needs
Nicky Roger Associate editor
The standard reflects the varied needs required by workers on small sites. Image: FMB
A proposed Level 2 General Builder Apprenticeship Standard aims to give small- and medium-sized construction firms a training route better suited to the multi-skilled nature of work on smaller building sites.
The standard, currently listed as in development by Skills England, has been developed with input from employers, including members of the Federation of Master Builders (FMB).
It would give new entrants foundational skills across bricklaying, carpentry, plastering and painting and decorating, providing a broad-based alternative to apprenticeships focused on a single trade.
This is not a paywall. Registration allows us to enhance your experience across Construction Management and ensure we deliver you quality editorial content.
Registering also means you can manage your own CPDs, comments, newsletter sign-ups and privacy settings.
The approach reflects the varied work undertaken by micro and SME builders across housebuilding, repair, maintenance, improvement, refurbishment and retrofit. Apprentices would develop skills across several core building activities before potentially progressing into more specialised roles.
FMB support
Brian Berry, chief executive of the FMB, said the organisation had supported the standard’s development from the outset.
“Our members wanted it, and we’ve supported its development as a vital part of making sure smaller builders have the skills they need on site, as for too long there has not been the recognition for new entrants doing multi-skilled jobs,” he said.
Berry said the standard had been shaped by employers familiar with the realities of working on small building sites and would help apprentices develop the confidence and competence to support a range of tasks.
“At a time when the UK urgently needs more skilled tradespeople to build new homes, improve existing homes and deliver retrofit, this is exactly the kind of employer-led training route we need,” he said.
Annie Summun, chair of the General Builder Occupational Group, said the development process had involved extensive discussion to ensure the standard would meet employers’ needs.
“Having led the development on the new General Builder Apprenticeship, it is hugely rewarding to see this standard now available for small- and medium-sized employers to train young people,” she said.
‘Good news for the industry’
Rosalind Thorpe, director of education and standards at the Chartered Institute of Building, said: “New pathways that increase access into the construction sector are very much welcomed. This Level 2 course in particular will be beneficial to small- and medium-sized companies by helping them recruit and develop the workforce they need, and this can only be good news for the industry more widely.”
The proposed standard, reference ST0984, sets out the knowledge, skills and behaviours expected of a general builder, with an emphasis on practical competence across a range of building activities.
For smaller firms, which may need employees to contribute across several trades on a project, the proposed apprenticeship could offer an alternative to training new entrants in a single specialism from the outset.
The development comes as the construction industry faces continuing pressure to recruit and train skilled workers to build new homes and upgrade existing properties, including through energy-efficiency improvements and retrofit.
