As the downturn in the housing market deepens, employers in the construction sector are being urged to continue to take on apprentices.

With thousands of would-be apprentices struggling to find employers ConstructionSkills, the Sector Skills Council for the industry, said that the economic downturn was affecting its industry, particularly house building sector, thousands of new staff were still required to enter the industry each year.

So far this year 3,800 young people in England are either already placed or about to start their placement through ConstructionSkills, however thousands more employers are needed to match the demand with 19,000 applications received so far and only 4,600 employer vacancies offered.

To help employers take on an apprentice ConstructionSkills provides employers with financial support towards Traditional Apprenticeships of up to £9,820 and for the alternative Programme-Led Apprenticeships direct funding of £3,000 alongside mentoring.

Director of ConstructionSkills Apprenticeships, Max Hamps, said: “It is vital that during these tough economic times valuable skills are not lost in the short term while plans are developed to ensure the skills base exists to support the expected expansion annually between 2009 and 2013. We will continue to work closely with the house builders in particular who so far have been the most affected by the downturn”.

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