INDUSTRY VOICE
Apprenticeships – Nurture talent & drive growth
The job market remains volatile in the building materials sector, whilst we all try to prepare for the promised growth in demand from the government’s plans for new housing to properly stimulate growth in the economy.
One area that can tend to be overlooked is the apprenticeship system, as both a means of upskilling existing employees, and in so doing engendering a higher degree of loyalty, and also in attracting the new, young talent that we all need to take our business’s forward into the future.
The BMF has always been an active supporter of apprentices and recently marked National Apprenticeship Week in February with the announcement that it has already achieved its Apprenticeship Pledge target. This was for BMF members in the building materials sector to commit to taking on 15,000 new apprenticeships by 2030. We had been rapidly
approaching our ambitious target since the start of the year. The
final push to get us over the line was helped in no small part by City Plumbing and Plumbing Trade Supplies, both part of the Highbourne Group, who have pledged to create 1,200 new apprenticeships, and Selco, who have committed to 500 new apprenticeships by the end of the decade.
BMF CEO John Newcomb said: “Our Apprenticeship Pledge together with our recently launched Building Materials Careers campaign is designed to secure a pipeline of talented and skilled individuals into the sector and ensure they have the appropriate training as well as robust prospects with plenty of options to develop.”
Darren Redwood, Operations Director for Highbourne Group, explained that apprenticeships
are helping the group to take a proactive role in shaping the future of the industry’s workforce.
He said: “We have a strong track record of supporting apprentices and supporting colleagues to make lifelong careers in the merchanting industry. Our commitment goes beyond simply attracting new talent — it’s also about empowering our existing team members to upskill and grow too.”
Wayne Shepherd, now a Regional Showroom Sales Manager at City Plumbing, is an excellent example. He started as an apprentice at City Plumbing a decade ago with no prior industry knowledge.
“Thanks to the support of my manager and colleagues,
Lowest Planning Approvals for a Decade Our colleagues at the Home
Builders Federation have released their latest Housing Pipeline Report, as seen by the BMF, that shows planning approvals hit a decade low in England last year.
The HBF has been monitoring planning permission approvals through its quarterly pipeline report, produced in conjunction with Glenigan, since 2010. The statistics are as follows: • 242,610 housing units received planning permission
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in 2024 - down 2% from 2023 and the lowest since 2014; • 9,776 actual house buildings sites gained permission in 2024 - the lowest number of approved sites since the HBF started reporting it in 2006; • the largest declines in granted permission compared to 2023 were in the East Midlands (-16%), London (-14%) and the West Midlands (-11%); • but a notable 25% increase in approvals in the North- Western England.
BMF DIARY DATES
Please check the BMF website at
www.bmf.org.uk for all the latest news and events updates in this ever-changing environment.
I completed my Level 3
apprenticeship and soon had the opportunity to manage my own branch,” he explained. “I would strongly encourage anyone considering an apprenticeship in merchanting to take the leap; it’s a fantastic pathway to a successful and fulfilling career.” Apprenticeships play a crucial role in shaping a skilled, adaptable, and resilient workforce, capable of driving economic growth and innovation. Used as part of a structured training plan that leads to accredited qualifications, they are a great way to develop the skills needed while fostering loyalty within your business. However, there’s no time for complacency, as Marianna Peet, BMF Apprenticeship and Training Manager explained: “It’s been fantastic to see the building materials sector coming together to support apprenticeships. To date, 96 members have pledged to create 15,603 new apprenticeships by 2030, but we want to do even more. Less than 10% of BMF members have signed the Apprenticeship Pledge, so there is plenty of work for us to encourage more companies to use apprenticeships as a development pathway for their teams.
Even if every granted permission resulted in a housing completion - which it doesn’t - planning approvals would need to increase by at least 53% to meet the government’s target of 370,000 new homes per year. The HBF has said this will be difficult due to an ongoing resource crisis within local planning authorities. An estimated additional 2,200 planning officers are needed across England and Wales.
www.buildersmerchantsjournal.net April 2025
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