Building timber frame skills for the future with Vistry

Background  

We caught up with Chris Chapman, Construction Manager at Vistry about timber frame technology, how apprenticeships are supporting new skills in home building and the importance of high standards in construction. 

About Vistry

Vistry builds quality homes and sustainable communities. Operating across 25 regions, Vistry Group is the UK’s leading provider of mixed-tenure homes and includes the Vistry Works Manufacturing arm, with three timber frame factories that support the organisations operational and suitability strategy. 

Bringing new people and new skills into construction 

According to the governments statistics for apprenticeship starts in the academic year 2024/25, 24,590 new people joined construction, planning and the built environment via apprenticeships in England. 

However, against the backdrop of ambitious government home building targets and increasing demand for quality new homes, this number needs to increase substantially and, of course, those who start apprenticeships need to complete them. 

Without a significant increase in the workforce scaling up the volume of quality new homes will be incredibly challenging. In fact, based on figures from the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB), more than 250,000 extra construction workers will be needed by 2028 just to meet the current demand, let alone increase the build volume of new homes. 

The benefits of apprenticeships

Vistry have been offering apprenticeships, as well as other construction related qualifications and professional development opportunities, for many years. Now, with the increase in timber frame construction and a growing need for the new skills and knowledge this requires, they have begun supporting and making use of the timber frame apprenticeship delivered at the NHBC Training Hub in Lichfield. 

We asked Chris about the benefits of a timber frame apprenticeship for both the apprentice and the employer.  

He explained “I think an apprenticeship is a brilliant option if you want to get into construction, especially if you want to learn these valuable skills while you are being paid. I’m really proud that on our upcoming timber frame cohort we aren’t just offering employment during the apprenticeship but will have roles available once it’s completed. I think this clearly shows our apprentices that there are long-term, rewarding careers available in construction. 

“For employers I also think there are great benefits to offering apprenticeships. For me the key benefit is ensuring we have enough people with the right skills to support the business in the future, specifically when it comes to timber frame construction as it is a newer methodology in comparison to traditional building practices. Apprenticeships have become an essential way to support our workforce planning and futureproofing, and in turn our operational strategy and progress towards greater sustainability.” 

NHBC apprenticeships and training hubs

With an increase in the use of modern methods of construction (MMC) including timber frame NHBC saw the gap in training and provision in this area. 

So, as part of the wider plans invest £100 million to launch new multi-skill training hubs, the timber frame apprenticeship was offered to Vistry’s latest cohort at the NHBC Training Hub in Lichfield from September 2026. 

We asked Chris about his views of the training hub environment. He said “There are lots of benefits to the training hub environment. It’s particularly effective for the apprentices as they experience the nearest possibly thing to a site environment; whether it’s the more basic aspects like following standard site rules such as signing in and out, or fundamentals like the wearing PPE and understanding site signage, which is what it used at the training hubs, it all helps prepare them.” 

Chris also added “The other major benefit in my opinion is the way a training hub can help cement the knowledge and skills the apprentices are learning by having a seamless transition from the academic and theoretical side – which is taught in a site cabin, again giving them that familiarity and recognition of regular working environments – through to the practical side as the apprentices can take just a few steps into the working area a put what they have learned into practice. This is then further compounded when they use the same knowledge and skills out on site. In my view there is no better way to embed what they are being taught and give them the best chance to learn these new skills to a high standard and at pace.” 

Raising standards through apprenticeships

We spoke with Chris about how apprenticeships can also help raise standards across the industry and asked him if he felt more could be down to support or develop them. 

He said “I absolutely think more should be done with apprenticeships. I feel strongly that they are a key mechanism to solving the skills gap and addressing the issue of an ageing workforce in construction, something that will have a huge impact on the whole industry in the next few years if we do not act now. From a funding and levy point of view it’s important that businesses can easily and effectively make the most of what is paid in, but there also needs to be more support for SMEs and sole traders; this is a grass roots ways of getting people into the industry and I think we are at risk of losing it. 

“I also think we need to work on the image of construction. If you are in the industry you will know about the brilliant development opportunities it offers and the variety of roles available, but I don’t think this is clear to people outside of it. And, unlike many other industries, there seems to be an excepted attrition rate in construction – I’d like to see it improve so that we can retain more people in the industry from a younger age, which would also help with the industry’s demographic challenge.”