CIOB shock as Institute-backed apprenticeship ‘trailblazer’ is frozen out

Skills minister Matthew Hancock’s decision to green-light two “trailblazer” construction apprenticeship schemes but leave a third CIOB-backed proposal in limbo has drawn an angry response from the Institute.

CIOB chief executive Chris Blythe has written an open letter to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills questioning the government’s decision not to support a proposed new Higher Apprenticeship in Construction Management.

The new route into the industry – which would have been equivalent to a bachelor’s degree and led to the title of Chartered Construction Manager – was being developed by Balfour Beatty and Kier with CIOB support.

As Construction Manager outlined on 11 February the government had been expected to endorse three construction-related schemes as “trailblazers” to implement the Richard Review of apprenticeships. The trailblazers are employer-led initiatives to devise new forms of apprenticeship that more closely match business needs.

Instead, on 4 March the government announced that it was backing just two schemes: a Construction Assembly Technician apprenticeship led by Laing O’Rourke; and a Wood Occupations apprenticeship led by Carillion Construction. 

The contractors and the CIOB are part of a partnership that also includes Seddon, Lovell Partnerships, H&H Joiners & Builders, K&M McLoughlin Decorating, MOD (Army) Royal Engineers and the ICE, with support and advice from the CITB. 

Ros Thorpe, head of education at the CIOB, said: “We’re very disappointed that construction management didn’t get approved. It’s not good, especially as the whole spirit of the Richard Review is that apprenticeships are driven by employers, and then to be told by BIS we don’t need more higher-level apprenticeships.”

Michael Brown, outgoing deputy chief executive of the CIOB, also expressed his surprise and disappointment, but said that the CIOB viewed the BIS decision as a chance to state the case to government for investment in construction management training. “The more we can do to state the case with the minister, the better. We’ve got to make the most of it – just to let it slide is the wrong thing to do.”

Ian Dickerson, head of new entrants at Kier, said that work on the higher apprenticeship proposal would continue, with the aim of gaining approval in the government’s next round of trailblazer applications. Dickerson told CM: “It’s about the number of people who are not going to university – degrees are costly and students are racking up debt. But we can have the students earning and learning, and we can develop them over a number of years.”

He added: "There is certainly a need for this type of qualification in the industry. At Kier, we already have 130 or so employees on a foundation degree programme. Retention rates are excellent and you get good quality people coming out, and the Higher Apprenticeship scheme is a similar proposal.

"We think it’s very promising and it’s unfortunate that the government has said no, possibly because it’s a long-term programme and they’re looking for trailblazers that can deliver results quickly."

Blythe’s letter highlights the growing need for alternative routes into the construction management profession, given the steep decline in students enrolling in university construction management degrees – down 40% since 2008.  

The CIOB believes the minister acted following advice that an existing higher apprenticeship in construction management has struggled to attract students and employers. Although the letter does not name the course concerned, it is likely to be the programme offered by the University of Middlesex – see our story here.

Brown said: “I think the best comparison [to what we want to achieve] is the advanced apprenticeship for engineering technicians which is very successful, it’s bringing the industry and major employers together and it’s the model I’d like construction management to follow.” The scheme’s founding members are Arup, Capita Symonds, Halcrow, Hyder, Mott MacDonald and WSP.

He also said that he expected work would continue on developing the new qualification, even if it was outwith the government-backed "trailblazer" programme.