An apprentice who turned to home building after falling just 1kg short of the Army’s minimum weight requirement is urging more women to consider careers in the industry as she opens a new training hub in Cambridgeshire.
Jess Chapman, 17, from Littleport, Cambridgeshire, is a groundworks apprentice at the new National House Building Council (NHBC) Training Hub in Northstowe, an independent, pioneering new community less than 30 minutes from Cambridge.
The training hub is part of NHBC’s £100 million programme to tackle the construction skills shortage by training up to 3,000 apprentices a year to help deliver the Government’s ambition of 1.5 million new homes.
Before starting her apprenticeship, Jess planned to join the Army and completed a military preparation course with ambitions to serve with the Royal Engineers. When she was unable to progress, she had to rethink her future.
“When one door closes, another opens. I was disappointed I couldn't join the Army, but construction was never talked about as a career at school. I hadn't even heard of groundworks. Now I’m the only female apprentice in my group, but I’m not going to let that stop me building a great career in home building. I want other girls to see me doing this and think, ‘I can do that too.’
“I thought construction was just people working on building sites, but it’s so much more. There are careers on and off site, great opportunities to progress and good money too. Groundworkers and bricklayers can earn around £50,000 a year, often more.
“I’m excited to see where this industry can take me. That’s why I’m so proud to open the new NHBC Training Hub in Northstowe today. I’m getting hands-on, learning by doing and I could qualify in around 14 to 18 months, which is half the time of more traditional training routes, so it makes it really appealing.
“My message to other women is simple, don’t underestimate yourself and don’t let anyone else underestimate you. Construction is for everyone,” Jess said.
The new NHBC Training Hub, located on Rampton Road in Northstowe, has been delivered in partnership with Homes England, the government’s housing and regeneration agency, which is master developer for phases two and three of Northstowe and housebuilder Keepmoat.
Two-thirds the size of a football pitch, the hub trains apprentices in real site conditions from day one in some of the most urgently needed skills, including bricklaying, groundworks, site carpentry and timber frame construction.
Commenting on the opening, Roger Morton, Director of Business Change at NHBC, said: “If we don’t fix the skills shortage, we won’t fix the housing shortage. The UK needs another 206,000 construction workers by 2030. Put simply, you cannot build 1.5 million new homes without the skilled people to build them. We need to skill up if we want to build up.
“That’s why NHBC is investing £100 million in 12 Training Hubs across the UK, giving up to 3,000 apprentices a year the high-quality, hands-on training they need to become skilled and site-ready.
“But training apprentices is only half the equation. There are young people like Jess who want apprenticeships and successful, well-paid careers in construction. What we urgently need now is more builders and subcontractors to employ them and put those skills to work.
“If we want to build more homes, the home building industry has to invest in the people who will build them.”
As well as intensive apprenticeships, the NHBC Training Hub in Northstowe will support traineeships, skills bootcamps, upskill the existing workforce, run specialist masterclasses and engage with schools.
Ian Hoad, Chief Executive Officer at Keepmoat, added: “Addressing the construction skills shortage is essential to delivering the homes the country needs. That starts with giving young people the opportunity to discover the range of construction careers available.
“We’re proud to have partnered with NHBC and Homes England to deliver the new training hub in Northstowe, providing hands-on experience to help develop the next generation of skilled construction workers.
“Jess is a great example of the ambition that exists among young people and why it’s important to make construction an accessible and attractive career choice for everyone. We’re committed to supporting initiatives that create opportunities, strengthen communities and help build the talent pipeline.”
Alison Crofton, Chief Regional Delivery Officer at Homes England, said: "Northstowe is much more than a housing development. It is a growing community designed to create opportunities for people to put down roots, build successful careers and thrive.
“Through our partnership with NHBC and Keepmoat, this new training hub will help develop the skills needed to support the delivery of new homes, while creating rewarding opportunities for local people and future apprentices.”
The NHBC Training Hub in Northstowe is the second to open, following Lichfield, Staffordshire, in 2025. A further NHBC Training Hub at Barking Riverside, London, is due to open in early 2027.
