UK Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills, John Denham, has announced a new £133M initiative aimed at overcoming the serious apprentice skills deficit in the UK construction industry and filling a number of serious construction vacancy gaps.

A three-year deal has been signed by his Department, the UK Learning and Skills Council, and ConstructionSkills, the Sector Skills Council for the UK construction industry. Its goal is to deliver more skilled and qualified workers to the sector which will require over half a million new entrants in the next five years.

The target is to deliver 6,500 new apprenticeships, in excess of 2,000 specialist apprenticeships and 50,000 qualified plant operatives.

The deal also gives support to a Construction Bursary Scheme initiative for bursaries of up to £1,200 to allow diverse apprenticeship candidates to work on site for up to 12 weeks prior to starting work. It is anticipated that an annual apprenticeship target of 500 people will be achieved by this route over the three-year programme period.