Motocross champion becomes first apprentice to qualify as NHBC launches its first Multi-Skill Construction Training Hub in Staffordshire

First apprentices achieve a 93% pass rate, nearly double the industry average, as NHBC launches the first of 12 hubs in a £100m programme to train 3,000 site-ready apprentices a year amid a 239,000 worker construction shortfall.

A major new apprenticeship training hub has launched in Lichfield, Staffordshire, as part of a £100 million UK-wide programme by the National House Building Council (NHBC) to tackle the construction skills shortage and support the delivery of 1.5 million new homes this Parliament.

The launch comes at a crucial moment as the UK construction sector is forecast to need 239,300 additional workers by 2029 just to meet existing demand, highlighting the scale of the workforce challenge facing the industry.

The Lichfield training hub is the first of 12 being rolled out nationwide by NHBC, the UK’s leading provider of new home warranties and insurance. Together the hubs will train up to 3,000 apprentices a year in real site conditions, helping address the growing demand for skilled trades across the house-building sector.

The first cohort of apprentices to qualify at the new NHBC Training Hub achieved a 93% pass rate, including four distinctions and nine first-time passes, significantly higher than the 53% industry average, according to Department for Education statistics.

Located at The Lakes development in Curborough, the new facility has been funded in partnership with the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB), with land provided by Redrow Homes. Around two-thirds the size of a football pitch, the hub will train approximately 200 apprentices each year, helping strengthen the construction workforce across Staffordshire and the wider Midlands.

Commenting on the launch, Roger Morton, Director of Business Change at NHBC, said: “We’re not just training apprentices, we’re raising standards across the house-building industry.

“With my background as an officer in the Royal Engineers, I’ve always been driven by overcoming challenges and improving quality. That’s exactly what the NHBC Training Hub in Lichfield is designed to do, delivering high-quality training at scale and producing skilled, site-ready tradespeople who can make an immediate impact on site.

“The first group of apprentices to qualify achieved an exceptional 93% pass rate, compared with an industry average of 53%, which shows what can be achieved when training is focused on leading industry standards.

“NHBC’s £100 million investment in 12 new multi-skill training hubs will train apprentices in the most critical house-building trades in conditions that mirror real construction sites. Apprentices learn outdoors and gain quality, practical experience from day one rather than spending most of their time in a classroom.

“Our training allows apprentices to qualify in as little as 14 months, almost half the time of many traditional training routes, helping the industry bring skilled, site-ready workers into the workforce faster.

“House building is facing a triple challenge. We need to build more homes, improve quality and address a serious skills shortage. When all 12 hubs are open, we will be delivering up to 3,000 skilled apprentices every year in the areas where they are needed most.

“For builders and contractors, the message is simple. Funding is available through the Apprenticeship Levy and other grants, making this a practical and scalable way to grow the workforce.”

The new NHBC Training Hub will focus initially on bricklaying, groundworks and site carpentry, which account for around 80% of house-building activity. The remaining capacity will support upskilling existing workers, skills bootcamps, traineeships and masterclasses to keep pace with local employer demand.

The impact of the training model is already being seen.

Jake Trawford, 19, from Burntwood, Staffordshire, an English and Welsh Sprint Motocross Champion, swapped testing motocross bikes for Triumph to pursue a groundworks apprenticeship at NHBC’s Multi-Skill Training Hub in Lichfield, where he has now become the first apprentice to qualify.

“Completing my apprenticeship with a distinction in just over 12 months and becoming the first person to qualify from the new Lichfield hub is something I’m really proud of. It shows you don’t have to spend years in traditional education to start building a successful career.

“I passed my exams at school, but sitting behind a desk all day just wasn’t for me. I wanted a career where I can be outside, working with my hands and seeing what I’d built at the end of the day.

“Training at NHBC hub is as close to a real building site as you can get. You’re outside most of the day learning to the highest industry standards. If something isn’t right, the NHBC trainers teach you do it again until it is, which really prepares you for the industry.

“There’s huge demand for skilled people in construction because the country needs more homes, so it’s a great time to join the industry.

“People are often surprised by the earning potential. Skilled trades like bricklayers can earn around £50,000 a year and, if you work hard and move into management, you can be looking at six-figure salaries.

“For anyone who enjoys practical work and wants a career where, if you work hard, you can progress quickly and see the results of your work every day, construction is a brilliant option,” Jake said.

Tim Balcon, CEO of the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB), added: “Construction is facing one of the biggest workforce challenges in its history. If we are serious about delivering 1.5 million new homes, we must significantly increase the number of people entering the industry and make sure they are trained to a high standard. What’s particularly encouraging about the NHBC Training Hub model is the focus on practical, site-based learning and getting apprentices job-ready more quickly, without compromising quality.

“CITB is proud to support this initiative. It shows what can be achieved when industry works together to create clear, accessible routes into construction and give employers the confidence to take on and develop new talent.”

Marc Cattell, Learning and Development Manager at Redrow Midlands, added: “We are thrilled to be a part of the NHBC hub opening its doors, and the opportunities this will bring.”

Construction is set to begin shortly on the next NHBC Training Hub in Northstowe, Cambridgeshire, with further locations under assessment as part of the national rollout.