What is an apprenticeship?
Find out more about what an apprenticeship in construction involves.
Apprenticeships in construction
Apprenticeships are a highly valued entry route into construction and are open to anyone aged 16 and over.
As a construction apprentice, you’ll be employed full-time. You’ll avoid student debt and earn a wage whilst gaining industry-specific qualifications. There are hundreds of diverse, rewarding construction apprenticeships to choose from. You could be behind a drawing board, developing project management skills, training as a craftsperson and more.
Learn about apprentices in construction
Billie-Jo Judd, Plasterer
"Becoming a plasterer was the best decision I've ever made."
Billie-Jo works in clients' homes and businesses close to where she lives. As a plasterer she makes walls and ceilings smooth, and she finds it very therapeutic.
University was never something Billie-Jo was interested in. She gets homesick and didn’t want to live away from her family. She did a two-year apprenticeship to become a plasterer. One day, she wants to start her own business and could earn £40,000 a year.
Tom Glover, CAD Engineer
"It was exciting to take an idea I'd had and make it real."
Tom works in computer aided design (CAD). He uses information from architects and engineers to create 3D computer models of structures and buildings. Along the way, he does a lot of programming and coding too.
He did an apprenticeship after leaving school and was able to learn all the skills he needed on the job. His employer helped him gain a BTEC before he got a full-time job.
Grace Elizabeth, Stonemason
"I'm conserving this building for future generations."
Grace is an apprentice stonemason at Lincoln Cathedral. She loves working with natural materials and using her practical skills to preserve this historic building for future generations.
As an apprentice, she has a mentor who teaches her and checks her work. On-site, she usually teams up with another person, so they can lift heavy stone together. In the workshop, there is more focus on solo craft.
Verse Abudar, Engineer
"I can't hype up apprenticeships enough."
Verse is a Graduate Apprentice Engineer, working on a refurbishment of the Scottish National Gallery. He collaborates with surveyors, architects and designers, manages subcontractors, completes health and safety checks and monitors build progress.
Graduate apprentices earn £17,000 - £22,000 a year. Verse’s salary could rise by £10,000 a year when he graduates.