As the aftermath of GCSE results day illuminated the future career options of hundreds of thousands of students who sat these exams, apprenticeships have garnered significant online interest.
Analysis of Google search data shows that searches for ‘apprenticeships’ hit an all-time high of 614% since 2004, suggesting that students are increasingly open to the possibility of alternative pathways to university. After thousands of students received their GCSE, T-Level and A-Level results in the last fortnight, many young Brits must make critical decisions about their future career paths. Clive Holland, broadcaster on Fix Radio, the UK’s only national radio station for tradespeople, comments that encouraging young people to take apprenticeships is key to mending the skills deficit.
New data from Fix Radio shows that a staggering 65% of Brits weren’t encouraged onto the worksite and 18% of British parents wouldn’t want their childrent to work in the construction industry as they don’t believe they’d earn much money. New data shows that attitudes towards apprenticeships might be changing, as research from the Association of Accounting Technicians (AAT) shows that 47% of parents no longer believe a degree is the “golden ticket” to success. As the national average salary for a construction apprentice stands at £23,828 according to Glassdoor, the benefit of taking an apprenticeships means that apprentices will be able to not only earn on the job but be debt-free. This also coincides with many tradespeople’s jobs earning sizeable amounts more than university graduates. According to research carried out by The Federation of Master Builders, brickies, plumbers and other skilled professionals were taking home earnings which dwarfed those of graduates by thousands of pounds.
- Site manager – £51,266
- Plumbers – £48,675
- Supervisors – £48,407
- Electricians – £47,265
- Roofers – £42,303
- Bricklayers – £42,034
- Carpenters and joiners – £41,413
- Plasterers – £41,045
- Scaffolders – £40,942
- Painters and decorators – £34,587
Further research from Fix Radio unveiled that 67% of Brits (29.7 million) agreed that their most valuable professional development came from learning on the job from skilled professionals, highlighting the importance of supporting apprenticeships. Research from the Institute of Student Employers (ISE) indicates that the average graduate salary in the UK sits at £33,229. As the number of people starting apprenticeships fell from 500,000 in 2015 to 337,000 last year, more must be done to encourage young people to opt for apprenticeships over traditional university degrees. According to Clive Holland, failure to address the lack of builders in the UK will affect any measures introduced to tackle the housing crisis after the election, which could potentially be alleviated by encouraging more young people into apprenticeships.
As the need grows for more young people to take apprenticeships in the UK, data from the Department of Education reveals that only 1% of young people are studying for a T-Level, while further analysis has shown a 41% decline (almost 54,000) in apprenticeship starts for those under 19 between 2015 and 2023. Broadcaster on Fix Radio, Clive Holland discusses how national apathy towards apprenticeships has exacerbated the skills deficit, and by extension, the housing crisis.
Clive Holland, host of The Clive Holland Show on Fix Radio, shares his thoughts on how the skills deficit has affected the construction sector:
“Apprenticeships are on the decline and the Department of Education by their own admission shows that only one percent of all young people are studying for a T-Level.
“Since Brexit, record numbers of tradespeople have left the country, and the stresses of an overstretched workforce are prompting thousands of colleagues to either retrain or leave the industry entirely. As Fix’s research has shown that the nation is starting to feel this pinch – with increasing numbers finding themselves waiting in excess of a year for a tradesperson to see them – imagine what this means for the housing crisis in the long-term.
“Years of continually missed homebuilding targets is now pricing millions of people out from the property market, and it’s only going to get worse. We simply need more builders. If political parties, irrespective of their stripe or colour, honestly believe they can address the housing crisis without having the serious conversation of addressing the skills deficit, we’re heading into a very dangerous position.”
About Fix Radio
Fix Radio, the Builders Station is the home of entertainment, music and information for UK tradespeople.
Since 2017 the station has been built from the ground-up with tradespeople in mind, providing a mixture of authentic trade voices, up-beat music and a schedule designed around the tradesperson’s day.
The station’s schedule includes some of the biggest talent in the industry, including social media influencers the Bald Builders, Clive Holland of the BBC and formerly Cowboy Trap, the country’s most famous plasterer Chris Frediani from DIY SOS, plumbing influencer Andy Cam, electrician turned YouTuber Thomas Nagy, carpenter, craftsman and social media influencer Robin Clevett and TV presenter and builder, Mark Millar.
Broadcasting nationally on DAB since May 2022, Fix Radio has an average reach of 460,005 tradespeople each week. The Builders Station also boasts 26.9 average weekly listening hours. Fix Radio’s audience reach and listening hours are audited by Nielsen.
