New research published by SCAPE has indicated that apprenticeships are a key driver of social value generation in UK construction
The report titled the Social Value in Construction Benchmarking Report 2024, by SCAPE, has shown that construction apprenticeships are one of the top drivers of generating social value in the industry.
It also shows that social value from skills and employment has more than doubled since 2022.
Job creation made up 16.4% of social value created in 2023
The report reviewed 329 contracts with a combined cost of £3.2bn, or 10% of the public sector’s construction spending.
These contracts were analysed to determine national and regional trends in social value delivery.
It was found that 282 of the contracts enabled skills and employment improvements, creating over 15,600 weeks worth of on-site apprenticeship employments.
The results varied in different regions
The West Midlands delivered the most, followed closely by Wales, and London was relatively low. This was determined by comparing the apprenticeship weeks to the £1m spent.
The West Midlands delivered 10 weeks for every £1m, while Wales delivered nine, and London delivered 4.5 weeks.
National Procurement Policy has a huge effect on the outcomes of construction apprenticeships, and the results of the report suggest that the government should support local authorities to deliver more improvements.
Mark Robinson, group chief executive at SCAPE, said: “The Social Value in Construction Benchmarking Report highlights the positive impact the construction industry is having on communities up and down the country. The increased value delivered by apprenticeships we have seen over the past year demonstrates the clear potential these programmes have for supporting the next generation – as well as the industry’s ability to drive positive economic growth.
However, there is still more to be done – with Labour’s mission to drive economic growth and jobs creation, it is evident that there is a real opportunity for Government and industry to work together to ensure best practice is reflected consistently across the country. The findings of this report show a clear route for how this can be achieved and the benefits waiting to be realised.”
