TICA urges public procurement reforms to prioritise apprenticeships
The Thermal Insulation Contractors Association (TICA) is urging public authorities to place apprenticeships at the centre of new public procurement regulations - ensuring that major construction projects drive long-term skills development rather than prioritising cost-cutting measures.
Under the new Procurement Regulations, public authorities must publish at least three key performance indicators (KPIs) for contracts exceeding £5 million. TICA is urging decision-makers to make apprenticeship investment a key metric, ensuring that companies awarded public contracts actively contribute to addressing the construction industry’s growing skills gap.
Chris Ridge, TICA’s Technical Director, said: “We saw a huge groundswell of support for apprenticeships during National Apprenticeship Week, and rightly so. The challenge now is turning that support into real action. If we are serious about tackling the skills crisis, apprenticeship investment must be factored into the procurement process as a KPI. Clients must join the dots and ensure that apprenticeships are encouraged throughout the contracting supply chain.”
The specialist construction trades are facing a “demographic time bomb,” with a rapidly ageing workforce and insufficient numbers of new entrants. At the same time, the number of young people not in education, employment or training (NEET) has reached an all-time high, with Office for National Statistics figures showing 13.2% of 16-24-year-olds fell into this category in the third quarter of 2024.
“The construction sector has both the demand for skilled workers and a supply of young people who need opportunities,” Ridge added. “But too often, young people are pushed into transient site labour roles instead of being given an opportunity to develop in recognised trades, including thermal insulation. A skilled trade apprenticeship provides pride in work and a clear career pathway, something that should be fundamental to any public project.”
