CITB

The number of women starting construction apprenticeships has surged in recent years, according to a new report from the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB).

The Construction Apprenticeships 2025: Challenges. Opportunities. Support report reveals that 1,450 women began a construction apprenticeship in 2018-19, rising to 2,420 in 2023-24—a 67% increase.

The trend extends beyond enrollment, with the number of women completing their apprenticeships also seeing remarkable growth. In 2018-19, 340 women completed their training, a figure that jumped by more than 170% to 930 in 2023-24.

CITB is encouraging more women to consider careers in construction, aiming to sustain this momentum and foster greater diversity in the industry.

This rise in female starters and completions suggests a future with greater gender diversity in the construction industry. Changing attitudes towards gender roles and the introduction of policies aimed at promoting gender equality will help further decrease the gender and skills gaps.

The findings are a positive sign for the construction industry, and CITB intends to build upon this. Earlier this week, the company launched the 2025 iteration of the Top 100 Most Influential Women in Construction Awards. Additionally, in its recent Strategic Plan 2025 – 29, CITB listed one of its key objectives is to inspire and enable diverse and skilled people into construction.

CITB intends to promote construction careers to over 5 million potential new entrants, highlighting that there are over 180 different occupations in the industry. Similarly, there are over 100 different construction apprenticeship roles that lead to careers in the industry for people at every stage of their career.

Lucie Wright, Head of Careers Strategy at CITB, said:

“We need more women in construction. It’s incredibly heartening to see the number of women starting construction apprenticeships increasing – long may this continue. As an industry, we need to actively promote to as diverse a range of applicants as possible and make sure we get the conditions for working in the industry right for as many different people as possible.

“We recently launched the Top 100 Most Influential Women in Construction Awards 2025, back for the fourth year running. The programme is one of the ways we strive to recognise the wonderful women and allies who are driving real change in the construction industry.

“For any women thinking about their career options, I and CITB urge you to consider a career in construction. There’s so much to admire about the industry, and it’s a great place for women to work and thrive.”

Scottish Apprenticeship Week (March 3–7, 2025) is underway, and the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) is urging construction companies across Scotland to increase apprenticeship starts by utilizing CITB apprenticeship grants.

As part of the celebrations, CITB welcomed Graeme Dey MSP, Minister for Higher and Further Education, to its National Construction College (NCC) in Inchinnan, Renfrewshire. During his visit, the Minister toured the facilities, observed apprentices at work, and engaged with both apprentices and employers to discuss their experiences.

CITB’s Strategic Plan for 2025–29 includes a commitment of over £550 million to attract and support a diverse and skilled workforce in the construction sector. This investment includes ongoing grants to support employers in hiring apprentices.

Between April 2023 and March 2025, CITB has allocated nearly £150 million in apprenticeship grants to support the next generation of construction professionals.

As National Apprenticeship Week (10–16 February 2025) approaches, the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) highlights its strong commitment to apprenticeship support. Between April and December 2024, CITB provided apprenticeship grants to over 24,000 learners and nearly 9,000 employers, reinforcing its role in developing the UK’s construction workforce.

A significant portion of this support benefited micro and small businesses, with close to 8,000 employers with fewer than 50 employees receiving funding. This demonstrates the wide-reaching impact of CITB’s apprenticeship grants in helping construction firms of all sizes invest in skilled talent.

CITB has committed nearly £150 million in apprenticeship funding between April 2023 and March 2025, with over £50 million already distributed to employers in the current financial year.

This year’s National Apprenticeship Week theme, ‘Skills for Life,’ is particularly relevant to the construction industry. With more than 180 different occupations and over 100 construction apprenticeship pathways, individuals at any stage of their career can develop lifelong skills and secure a future in the sector.

CITB’s New Entrant Support Team (NEST) has also supported over 3,500 new apprenticeship starts between April to December 2024 – more than doubling the number of new apprentices they’ve helped join the industry compared to the previous period. NEST provides hands-on, free support to help employers recruit apprentices.

Additionally, CITB’s National Construction College (NCC) has seen their overall achievement rate for apprenticeships increase for three years running and is on track to make it four, with achievement rates for 2024-25 poised to reach the 70% target by the end of the financial year. This will be 16% above the national average and, importantly, 92% of people completing their apprenticeships through the NCC stay in the industry, demonstrating the significant impact CITB’s NCC improvement programme has had.

Deb Madden, Executive Director for Nations Engagement at CITB, said: “A career in construction is an incredibly fulfilling one that I encourage everyone to consider. Nothing beats the valuable skills to be learnt, the sense of accomplishment seeing a project completed, and the well-paid roles that are available. There’s a misconception that construction jobs don’t pay well, but this simply isn’t true – the average UK construction worker’s salary is over £44,000, almost £9,000 higher than the average UK salary.

 “It’s fantastic to see the impact CITB’s New Entrant Support Team and National Construction College are having, supporting learners to gain skills for life and employers to grow their business.

 “If you’re interested in pursuing an apprenticeship or hiring an apprentice, I urge you to get in contact with CITB to find out how we can support you.”