The Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) has released updated figures for its New Entrant Support Team (NEST), showing that it has supported more than 13,500 apprenticeship starts since it was launched in September 2022.
Additionally, CITB’s NEST has supported 7,230 employers and provided 3,925 existing apprentices with support.
The latest available statistics show that around 33,000 people started construction apprenticeships in Britain in 2024-25. NEST supported over 4,100 apprenticeship starts during the same period, meaning more than 12% of all construction apprenticeship starts were facilitated by NEST.
NEST helps employers find, recruit and retain apprentices or new entrants, as well as helping them access grants and funding while providing ongoing support and employee mentoring.
With CITB’s Construction Workforce Outlook finding that we need over 41,000 extra construction workers every year, the new NEST figures demonstrate the significant impact the initiative makes towards addressing skills demand across the industry.
Leanne Land, Head of Regional Engagement, CITB, said: “CITB is here to support employers to take on new entrants, and it’s fantastic to see the impact of our New Entrant Support Team. By reducing barriers, supporting recruitment and championing the value of apprenticeships, we can help ensure that more people enter and successfully complete the training that construction and the wider economy will increasingly depend upon.
“It’s also vital that we don’t solely focus on people starting and completing training, but that they also progress into long-term careers in the industry. We remain committed to continuing our work in supporting employers to build the resilient and skilled workforce that the construction industry needs.”
