Earn a salary
Earn a salary and paid holidays while they learn.
Parents' guide
Supporting your child through the apprenticeship process.
Finding the right option
All parents and guardians want the best for their child and there is often pressure for them to continue with their education at sixth-form college or university. However, that route is just not right for many young people. Thankfully there are several other options that can create a pathway to a rewarding and well-paid career.
If your child is interested in a career in construction, an apprenticeship could be the perfect route to success. Apprenticeships are a popular alternative to college and uni, offering the chance to get a qualification and relevant work experience, whilst earning a wage and there are no tuition fees or loans to worry about.
What qualifications does my child need to do an apprenticeship?
NHBC’s house-building apprenticeships are available to anyone aged 16 and over and living in the UK. So…whether you’ve just taken your GCSEs, you’re still studying, or you’ve already been in the world of work for a while, an apprenticeship could be the perfect next step for you.
Types of apprenticeships
There are various levels of apprenticeship to apply for depending on your child’s current skills and qualifications. Apprenticeships have equivalent educational levels:
- Apprenticeship Level 2: equivalent to 5 GCSE passes
- Apprenticeship Level 3: equivalent to two ‘A’ level passes
- Higher Apprenticeship Levels 4, 5, and 6: Foundation degree and above
What are the benefits of an apprenticeship?
Gain a qualification
Gain a valued qualification in their area of interest.
Work alongside experts
Work alongside industry experts and experienced tutors.
No student loan
No student loan or tuition fees to worry about.
How much will an apprenticeship cost?
Your child has no fees to pay for NHBC apprenticeships or Higher Level Apprenticeships training as this is all funded by the by ESFA (Education Skills Funding Agency) through the Industry Levy.
How much will my child get paid?
Your child’s employer will pay them in the same way they would any other member of the team. By law, all apprentices have to be paid the National Minimum Wage however some employers pay more than this and your child can negotiate their pay before they start.
Apprenticeship courses
Start your career in construction today with an apprenticeship in Bricklaying or Construction Site Supervision.
Find out more
What is a construction apprenticeship?
Apprenticeships are a form of education that combine practical on-the-job training with studying in the classroom.
Learn more
Who can apply for a construction apprenticeship?
NHBC’s house-building apprenticeships are available to anyone aged 16 and over and living in the UK.
Learn more
How to apply for a construction apprenticeship?
As well as offering training and a qualification, an apprenticeship is a real job, with a real wage, so an application should be approached in the same way as any other paid position.
Learn moreIs your child looking for a construction apprenticeship but not currently employed?
To be eligible for a construction apprenticeship you must be employed in a related job role. We work with Talentview Construction who can help match you with employers. Are you ready to kickstart your career into construction?
Questions and answers for parents
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Apprenticeships are carefully designed to ensure that learners gain valuable skills, knowledge and experience in the role of their choice. Our apprenticeships have been designed in collaboration with many of the UK’s major house builders, so if your child completes one of our apprenticeships, we will make sure that they have gained the key knowledge that we know the industry wants their young professionals to learn. Our candidates also learn extra, NHBC-specific information that will help them towards being the best they can be in the industry. Our bricklaying programme for instance includes working towards specific NHBC Standards, not routinely taught in other apprenticeships at entry level.
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Our apprenticeships have intake dates four times throughout the year, check our courses to find out the next start date.
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No. We will provide everything your child needs during their training day, their employer would be responsible for any cost and organisation of travel and accommodation. They will have a point of contact at all times with us and their employer should they have any concerns whilst staying over for the training weeks.
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Comparisons between qualifications can be difficult as it depends somewhat on how the learner plans to progress their career. The level 4 Construction Site Supervisor programme not only provides an NVQ level 4 in site supervision, but the apprenticeship as a whole also carries equivalent value to provide eligibility for higher education courses, such as HNDs, foundation degrees, or degree programmes.
Bricklayers will achieve an Intermediate Standard Apprenticeship at level 2 – but again with a wealth of NHBC-specific build standard knowledge unique to us.
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Our Bricklaying programme is delivered from one of our purpose built Training Hubs. Our Construction Site Supervisor programme, primarily for older learners, is run entirely virtually via Zoom sessions.
Whilst at a Training Hub, apprentices are supervised at all times and are required to adhere to the same health and safety standards and use of protective equipment that is expected on a well-managed building site. They are fully trained on appropriate use of any equipment, with risk assessment and method statements in place.
Our Training Hubs are covered by CCTV, closed to general public admission with any guests also fully supervised. Our staff are fully trained in both Safeguarding and Prevent Duty, required for all educational establishments and apprentices encouraged to be open and honest on any concerns they might have. Our learners’ safety and welfare is our prime concern, just like on the building sites they will work on in the future – there’s nothing more important than going home safe and well at the end of the working day. -
There are no upper age limits for apprenticeships but apprentices must be 16 or over by the end of the summer holidays to start an apprenticeship. We’re aware it can of course be daunting for young people travelling away from home - often the first time - and any prospective parents are welcome to visit the hub locations and discuss our programme with our staff at any time. We take safeguarding responsibility very seriously at all times on our programmes and will support our employers to ensure learners are protected and looked after whilst staying away
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The employer covers all costs for the course, and to enable your apprentice to complete the apprenticeship (e.g. the travel and accommodation). We provide breakfasts at the hubs and all the equipment they’ll need to learn with us. Your child will also get a salary from the employer in line with or exceeding the national minimum wage / minimum wage for apprenticeships requirements.
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There are set requirements for Maths and English to complete for all apprentices, we don’t exclude anyone based on their prior qualifications but we do assess what learners may find too challenging. All learners complete initial assessments at application, including Maths and English diagnostics. Providing they meet the required level and show they are capable of working towards Functional Skills, they will be able to join the programme.
For level 2 courses, apprentices must be able to show evidence of a GCSE grade D/2 or above, for level 3 courses and over, a grade C/ 4 or above before they can finish the course and take their End Point Assessment.
If your child doesn’t already have these grades, they will be required to complete functional skills Maths and / or English at the appropriate level and will be supported by our dedicated tutors to eventually take their exams and gain the qualification.
Employers your child may apply to work with may have their own criteria, and can sometimes require GCSE grades as a minimum. This is not part of our eligibility criteria.
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No, you can apply anywhere
in England. The employer will work with us to place your child within one of our training hubs. If you live in Scotland or Wales, your child must be working in England more than 50% of their week to be eligible for apprenticeship funding on our programme. -
Whereas most apprenticeships take up to 3 years ours can be completed in 18 months. During the first 5 weeks your child will have hands-on training at one of our training hubs, after which they will be ready to go on site and return to the training hub every 8-10 weeks for 2 weeks of intensive learning. The end result – the same qualification with no loss in quality training, but completed over a shorter, more intensive period of time.