Here is the government’s £3-billion plan to increase the number of bricklayers, carpenters, and healthcare workers in the UK
The Department of Education has announced several new reforms, which it says will help train up the number of bricklayers, carpenters and healthcare workers in the UK.
The measures, which are backed by a £3 billion apprenticeship budget, will open up opportunities for young people to succeed in careers the country vitally needs to prosper, the department said.
It added that more routes into skilled work means more people building affordable homes, more care for NHS patients and more digital experts to push the economy forward.
Some of the biggest changes include:
- 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.
- 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.
- 13 new Level two construction courses for adults in non-devolved areas under the Free Courses for Jobs scheme.
Of the £3 billion budget, £14 million will go to adult skills funding, which is expected to support up to 5,000 additional adult learners. A further £136 million will be spent on skills bootcamps across a range of priority sectors in 2025-26, providing training to over 40,000 learners.
The move follows a dramatic fall in the number of apprenticeship starts over the last decade. Recent ONS statistics show that as many as one in eight 16-24 year olds are not in employment, education or training.
“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,” said Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson.
“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,” she said.
