Rather than go to university and build up debts teetering on the terrifying, school-leavers collecting A-level results next week can earn while they learn on their way to carving out a rewarding career with a great future in the housebuilding industry.

Apprenticeships have undergone an incredible change in recent years as their focus has shifted from being primarily blue‐collar professions, such as construction or engineering, to business and head office functions. Once thought of as an alternative to University for students who “couldn’t get the grades”, apprenticeships are becoming a viable career option for our brightest young people – as well as those already in work.

Despite good intentions, the apprenticeship levy hasn’t had the easiest of beginnings. Apprenticeship starts were 39 per cent down in April compared with the same period in 2016 – the clearest sign yet that we’re some way from having a system that works, that encourages companies to invest more in skills and training, and ultimately delivers a chance for people to embark on their career or retrain.

Unite says latest job losses are ‘act of crass stupidity’ amid construction skills shortage. The apprentice redundancies made up the bulk of the latest round of 356 job losses at Carillion.

The UK’s only specialist Further Education construction college will have a new CEO & Principal, following the retirement of the incumbent, Ian Billyard. It was announced today that the successor at Leeds College of Building will be Derek Whitehead, currently Deputy Principal at the College. Derek will take up the position in January 2019. 

Concern has been raised by construction industry experts about a shortage of skilled workers. It was revealed by City & Guilds that 87% of employers last year were struggling to get hold of the necessary number of skilled workers. Official figures, revealed in Construction News, shows that 12.6% of the UK’s construction workers aren’t British-born, with 5.7% originating from the EU. This rises considerably in London to 60%. Rather concerning is the fact that three in 10 British-born construction workers are older than 50 years old and edging towards retirement.

Employers given green light to transfer up to 10% of levy funds to multiple businesses

The skills minister has launched a new £22 million fund to help tackle construction skills shortages.

The 18-month scheme will be overseen by the Construction Industry Training Board and funded by the Department for Education.

A ago week today, Learning and Work Institute launched All change: where next for apprenticeships?, a new essay collection with leading experts setting out ways to improve the quality of apprenticeships and ensure fair access to training.

Contributors were asked to reflect on the first year of the Levy and the impact of major changes to the development and funding of apprenticeships, and to give us their proposals for how to improve the quality of apprenticeships and ensure fair access to training.

The Awards celebrate the achievements of young people who have had to overcome barriers in their personal lives to train for and/or become employed in the construction industry.

The former skills minister has appeared to question the whole design principle behind the government’s plan for prestigious new T-levels.

Dr John Lanham is Assistant Vice Chancellor and Director Strategic Regional Partnerships at UWE and a Board Member of the University Vocational Awards Council (UVAC)

The University of the West of England (UWE) has an extensive portfolio of “collaborative provision” through which we work with a range of partners to deliver our degrees at locations away from the university.

Not only has the levy offered an excellent chance for companies to invest in their employees, it has also allowed a number of people to enter the workforce who may not have been able to otherwise, writes Barclays' Mike Thompson

Almost three quarters of the apprentices left jobless following the collapse of Carillion have secured new employment, following an “extraordinary effort” by the construction industry over the last month.

At first, 700 were offered alternative apprenticeships by the end of January, after the outsourcing giant entered liquidation on the 15th. But attempts to move more than 400 others stalled throughout February and early March, after it proved difficult to match them with companies close enough to where they live.

Sir Gerry says concerns over end-point assessments are being overplayed by “vested interests” in the sector who are against the reforms

Writing exclusively for Tes, the chief executive of the Institute for Apprenticeships (IfA) Sir Gerry Berragan says that end-point assessment (EPA) represents a big change that can be “unsettling” for providers.

Many low-skill and management training courses have been incorrectly labelled as ‘apprenticeships’ to attract millions in government subsidies through the apprenticeship levy, according to a new report from the public services think-tank Reform.

Peter Lauener is taking on yet another job next month, this time as chair of the Construction Industry Training Board at the request of the skills minister.

The former boss of both the ESFA and the Institute for Apprenticeships, once dubbed the busiest man in FE, will take up the role at the organisation on May 1.

Union giant Unite has called for a comprehensive overhaul of construction training methods, having unearthed a significant increase in so-called ‘dead end courses’.

Unite lodged a freedom of information request with the Skills Funding Agency which revealed that 203,400 people had completed a full or part-time construction course in 2016/17 – up 5% on 2015/16, during which 192,500 such courses were undertaken (itself a 14% increase on the year previous).

A demanding job in a high-pressure environment, dealing with matters of life and death daily, you might think that I’m the product of a Russell Group university education with a list of Bachelors and Masters degrees to my name. But you’d be wrong.

British businesses would benefit from a Swiss-style apprenticeship system, according to experts

Employers would benefit from school leavers starting apprenticeships lasting for several years, according to a new study released today by the Education Policy Institute (EPI), German think tank Bertelsmann Stiftung and the JP Morgan Chase Foundation.

Union leaders are calling for a radical overhaul of construction training after claiming thousands more youngsters are stuck on ‘dead end’ courses.

A freedom of information request by Unite to the Government’s Skills Funding Agency revealed that 203,400 people undertook a full-time or part-time construction course in 2016/17 – a five per cent increase on 2015/16.

Allan Callaghan, managing director of Cruden Building, looks at the range of career opportunities available as the sector faces growing recruitment challenges

As industries continue to change and evolve, construction is going through its own transformation - shifting from a male-dominated, traditional profession to a much more innovative, diverse and collaborative industry with wider career horizons than ever before.

Anyone working in education and careers will know that we just celebrated National Apprenticeship Week 2018, five days of information and inspiration hoping to encourage a new generation of young people to learn more about the great opportunities out there. But just like puppies and Christmas – talking about apprenticeships should happen all year round, not just during National Apprenticeship Week: we must keep this vital conversation going.

DfE have today (29 Mar) published the latest statistics covering apprenticeship starts, apprenticeship service registrations and commitments. The figures released show a drop in Apprenticeship numbers.

Monthly Apprenticeship starts In December 2017 down from 16,700 apprenticeship starts, compared to 21,600 starts in 2016/17. Or 194,100 Apprenticeship starts for two quarters of 2017/2018 academic year compared to 258,800 Apprenticeship starts for the same period in 2016/17. Either way you 'cut up' the Apprenticeship start statistics are down between 22% - 25%. 

So what does the sector think about the Apprenticeship figures?

There has never been a better time to employ an apprentice or start an apprenticeship

Apprenticeships are a great opportunity for people to earn while they learn, gain vital work experience and set themselves on a fast-track to a successful career for life. Lasting between one and five years, apprenticeships are now available in over hundreds of occupations in many industries.

Apprenticeships are for people of all ages and all backgrounds. They offer a ladder of opportunity for people to gain the life changing skills they need and enable businesses to acquire the critical skills they need for business growth. Since 2015, we’ve seen over 1.2 million apprenticeship starts to date more opportunities for people of all ages and from all backgrounds

Fears of a “middle-class grab” on apprenticeships are “valid”, the skills minister has admitted.

Anne Milton told a House of Lords inquiry into the economics of further, higher and technical education that she was “watching and waiting” to see what happened – and would take action if necessary.

There will be an extra £80 million released to help small businesses recruit apprentices, the chancellor has announced in his spring statement to Parliament.

But it isn’t strictly new funding, a Treasury official later admitted.

The very best of what earning and learning means for learners and employers will be celebrated during the eleventh National Apprenticeship Week.

The theme for 2018’s event, running from March 5 until March 9, is ‘Apprenticeships work’.