Reds10, the off-site construction specialist, has called on the government to reform the way construction apprenticeships are delivered, warning that labour shortages will continue to constrain housing and infrastructure delivery unless fundamental changes are made to the current system.
Launched at the Labour Party Conference 2026, Reds10’s new white paper, The New Construction Apprenticeship Model, argues that the construction sector’s skills shortage is being exacerbated by a structural mismatch between the length of apprenticeships and the way construction projects are delivered.
While most construction apprenticeships take two to three years to complete, many specialist construction contracts last only three to nine months, making it difficult for apprentices to progress through qualifications and contributing to low completion rates across the industry. The white paper highlights that construction currently records an apprenticeship achievement rate of 58.3%, despite continuing demand for skilled workers.
The paper comes as government pursues ambitious plans to deliver 1.5 million homes alongside major investment in schools, healthcare, defence and infrastructure. Reds10 argues that meeting these targets will require a more effective and coordinated approach to workforce development.
The white paper proposes a twin-track approach to tackling the challenge, combining wider adoption of shared apprenticeship schemes with greater use of industrialised offsite construction. Under the shared apprenticeship model, apprentices are employed centrally and moved between projects as work packages conclude, providing continuity of employment, training and support throughout their qualification.
Drawing on the experience of apprenticeship agency K10, part of the Reds10 Group, the paper also sets out five policy recommendations for government, including making shared apprenticeship schemes the default model on major public projects, strengthening links between procurement and skills delivery, reforming Growth and Skills Levy rules, and creating a more coordinated regional approach to construction skills.
The full white paper can be viewed here: The New Construction Apprenticeship Model.
Paul Ruddick, Group CEO of Reds10, said: “At a time when the government is calling on the construction industry to deliver homes, schools, hospitals, defence infrastructure and other critical projects at pace, the country is facing a significant skills shortage. At the same time, almost one million young people are not in education, employment or training. Those challenges should not exist side by side.
“Apprenticeships can help close that gap, giving young people a route into skilled careers while building the workforce Britain needs. But construction faces a retention challenge just as much as a recruitment challenge, with too many young people entering a fragmented system that cannot provide the continuity and support they need to complete their training.
“Our experience through K10 has shown what a different approach can achieve. This white paper sets out a practical route to scaling that proven approach nationally, giving government an opportunity to strengthen social mobility, improve apprenticeship outcomes and build the skilled construction workforce the country needs.”
