Post A-Level Results Week: How Have Aspirations Been Shaped in the Most Pivotal Week for Careers? 

Fix Radio urges young Brits to take an apprenticeship amid the national skills deficit as 59% of young people aged 13 to 17 are considering taking an apprenticeship.

• 18% of British parents say they would not want their children to work in the construction industry
• 65% of Brits weren’t encouraged to pursue a career in the trades 
• Britain requires 225,000 tradespeople by 2027 to keep up with current construction demand

Approaching a week since A-Level results day, thousands of young people across the country are living through what is arguably the most pivotal week for career aspirations, deciding whether to pursue higher education, or entering the world of work. Although a staggering 3-in-4 students met the requirements for their first choice university, UCAS reports 59% of young people aged 13 to 17 are considering doing an apprenticeship which shows promising signs for the trades industries in dire need of more workers. As the demand for more young people to take apprenticeships in the UK increases, data from the Department of Education reveals that only 1% of young people are currently studying for a T-Level. The lack of encouragement onto the worksite poses another issue, as young people are not being incentivised into a career in the trades. Research from Fix Radio finds that 65% of Brits say they did not receive enough encouragement to pursue a career in the trades during their academic years. Endemic labour shortages have also been laid bare as the skills deficit cripples the construction sector, with 225,000 extra workers needed to fulfil existent construction demand.

In light of A-Level results day, the newly launched National Construction Audit from Fix Radio has unveiled that 18% of British parents would not want their children to work in the construction industry because they don’t believe they will earn enough money. As the national average salary for a construction apprentice stands at £23,828 according to Glassdoor, apprentices will be able to not only earn on the job but also 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

With a further 67% of Brits (29.7 million) agreeing that their most valuable professional development came from learning on the job from skilled professionals, it is more imperative than ever for the UK to support 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. The CIPD states the number of apprenticeships starts has significantly decreased since the introduction of the current apprenticeship levy system in 2017, creating a bigger issue around labour shortages. Analysis of Department for Education figures shows a 41% decline (almost 54,000) in starts for those under 19 and a 36% decline (55,000) for those aged 19-24 between 2015 and 2023.

Clive Holland, host of The Clive Holland Show on Fix Radio, shares his thoughts on how national apathy towards apprenticeships has exacerbated the skills deficit, and by extension, the housing crisis:

“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.”