Next generation of builders, carers and engineers set to rebuild Britain

Young people are set to benefit from 120,000 new training opportunities as part of a radical skills revolution, giving them the chance to develop skills where they are most needed across the workforce to rebuild Britain.

More skilled brickies, carpenters and healthcare support workers will soon be trained up as we continue our drive to get Britain working, with landmark reforms announced today that refocus the skills landscape towards young, domestic talent. 

The measures, backed by a record-breaking £3 billion apprenticeship budget, will open up opportunities for young people to succeed in careers the country vitally needs to prosper. More routes into skilled work means more people building affordable homes, more care for NHS patients and more digital experts to push our economy forward. This includes an additional 30,000 apprenticeship starts across this Parliament. 

This unprecedented investment is a critical step in delivering the government's Plan for Change mission to create a decade of national renewal. We are backing our young people and investing in skills as an engine of economic growth – putting more money in people's back pockets and breaking down barriers to opportunity. 

Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said:   

“A skilled workforce is the key to steering the economy forward, and today we're backing the next generation by giving young people more opportunities to learn a trade, earn a wage and achieve and thrive. 

“When we invest in skills for young people, we invest in a shared, stronger economic future – creating opportunities as part of our Plan for Change.

“But everyone has a role to play in a thriving economy, and we're taking our responsibility seriously providing more routes into employment, it's now the responsibility of young people to take them.”

To support this, we are: 

• Implementing a 32% increase in the Immigration Skills Charge, which will deliver up to 45,000 additional training places to upskill the domestic workforce and reduce reliance on migration in priority sectors. As announced in the recent Immigration White Paper.  

• Refocusing funding away from Level 7 (masters-level) apprenticeships from January 2026, while maintaining support for those aged 16-21 and existing apprentices. This will enable levy funding to be rebalanced towards training at lower levels, where it can have the greatest impact.  

• Launched 13 new Level 2 construction courses for adults in non-devolved areas under the Free Courses for Jobs scheme. 

In addition to the £3bn apprenticeship budget, we're backing the new generation of workers through:  

• £14 million of adult skills funding for construction to be devolved to local mayors for next academic year, expected to support up to 5,000 additional adult learners. 

•  £136 million for Skills Bootcamps across a range of priority sectors in 2025-26, providing training to over 40,000 learners.  

• £100 million over four years to expand Construction Skills Bootcamps. 

• Ten Technical Excellence Colleges specialising in construction skills, opening in September 2025. 

 As part of the government's Plan for Change, the reforms are a vital step in delivering our youth guarantee and addressing skills shortages to drive growth while creating better opportunities for young people and adults across England.  

Today's announcement comes following a dramatic fall in the number of apprenticeship starts over the last decade, and as recent ONS statistics show as many as one in eight 16-24 year olds are not in employment, education or training.  

The government is also confirming Board appointments to the new national body for skills, Skills England, which will work with employers and local leaders to shape training policy and delivery.    

ENDS 

Additional quotes: 

Organisations supporting today's reforms to rebalance apprenticeship funding towards young people include the Social Market Foundation and Youth Futures Foundation.  

Milton Walcott, HSEQ Manager Complete Fixing Solutions Ltd said, 

“I am excited to see the government's focus on expanding apprenticeships and skills training for young people. The introduction of Foundation Apprenticeships is a great step forward in helping young people build the skills they need for the future.

“The emphasis on getting more 16-18-year-olds into work-based learning is particularly important, and we're looking forward to supporting these efforts to help build a strong, skilled workforce that drives economic growth.” 

Rob Dodds, Controller, Unipres (UK) Ltd said, 

“What a fantastic opportunity for young people to start their careers with a Foundation apprenticeship, these reforms will remove some of the barriers that young people face when looking for an apprenticeship. 

“We are looking forward to the chance to run these apprenticeships after their launch in August.” 

Stephen Wilde, Managing Director, Southbourne Rubber Ltd said: 

“This is a bold and vital step forward in building real opportunities for young people and adults to build skills that matter in industries that shape our future. We're proud to support this commitment to growing the UK's talent pipeline.” 

Sarah Yong, Director of Policy and Public Affairs at Youth Futures Foundation said: 

“International evidence shows apprenticeships are a highly impactful way to support young people to prepare for and access jobs, yet participation among under-25s, especially the most marginalised, has declined in recent years.

“With stubbornly high youth unemployment and inactivity, rebalancing the apprenticeship system can encourage investment in youth apprenticeships and is a first step in enabling more young people to access good work.” 

Dani Payne Senior Researcher at the Social Market Foundation said: 

“New foundation apprenticeships have been confirmed to start this August in Construction & Built Environment, Engineering and Manufacturing, Health and Social Care, and Digital.

“This is estimated to drive up to 10,000 apprenticeship starts each year by 2026/27, with huge numbers of these being 16–18-year-olds.”

Notes to editors: 

Teacher recruitment in Further Education 

• This announcement comes after government published figures earlier this month which showed that around six thousand Further Education teachers received Targeted Retention Incentive (TRI) payments last year.  

• These payments are worth up to a £6,000 after tax on top of their salaries.  

• The majority of claims were in subjects critical to the government's Plan for Change, such as construction (1,700), maths (1,400), and engineering (1,200). 

• The government also announced last week that we are investing an extra £160 million this year so that colleges and other 16-19 providers can recruit more expert teachers – and keep the ones they've got too. This will support high quality skills training for in-demand sectors.  

• This is part of the government's push to boost FE teaching and recruit 6,500 new teachers in schools and colleges across England.  

Construction training  

• Building on the over £600 million of investment announced by the Chancellor in March, the government is also boosting job prospects for adults interested in jobs in construction by expanding construction training via Skills Bootcamps and Free Courses for Jobs.  

• The Department will devolve around £14 million of additional adult skills funding for the construction sector to local mayors for next academic year, giving them the freedom to make the right choices for their areas.  

• For providers in non-devolved areas, 21 new construction courses at Level 2 will be added to the Free Courses for Jobs offer available for adults so more people can upskill, improve their job prospects and earn a higher wage.   

• This recognises the urgent need of employers in the sector for skilled workers, who are crucial to driving growth and delivering the government's housebuilding targets.