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<p>The department’s skills reforms in England provide a ladder of opportunity that
enables young people and adults to get good jobs and progress in their careers.</p><p>The
department is building a skills system that is employer focused, high-quality and
fit for the future, and is flexible enough to lead to more people completing high-quality
courses that meet employers’ needs in all sectors. This ambitious skills agenda is
backed by £3.8 billion of investment over this Parliament. We are using this to expand
and strengthen higher and further education, ensuring skills training is aligned to
the needs of employers to enable communities to thrive.</p><p>With this investment,
we are putting employers at the heart of our skills system. This is why the department
is working with industry to shape our training offers, creating more routes into skilled
employment in key economic sectors, including construction.</p><p>Our high-quality
apprenticeships are supporting people of all ages with the opportunity to earn and
learn the skills needed to start, or progress in, an exciting career in the construction
sector. Employers in the construction sector can access a range of high-quality apprenticeship
standards to meet their skills needs. There are currently 81 standards approved for
delivery, including standards in Modern Methods of Construction to support greener
approaches and deliver our commitment to a net-zero economy. In 2021/22, there were
7,490 starts at Level 3 in the construction, planning and built environment sector,
a 29.7% increase when compared to 2020/21 (COVID-affected).</p><p>T Levels are strengthening
vocational options for young people finishing their GCSEs. These two-year, technical
qualifications are designed with relevant employers, and are equivalent in size to
three A levels. Three T Levels in Construction are now available, leading to a variety
of careers in the sector such as bricklaying, plumbing, and civil engineering.</p><p>We
are delivering reforms to increase the profile, prestige, and uptake of higher technical
education. Central to our reforms is the introduction of Higher Technical Qualifications
(HTQs). HTQs are current, and new, Level 4 and 5 qualifications, approved and quality-marked
by the Institute for Apprenticeships & Technical Education as providing the skills
demanded in the workplace by employers.</p><p>HTQ rollout is on track with 172 approved
qualifications being delivered between September 2022 and September 2024. From September
2023, there will be 18 approved HTQs in Construction and the Built Environment, followed
by a further three that have been approved for first teach in September 2024.</p><p>The
Free Courses for Jobs offer, which was launched in April 2021, allows eligible adults
to access over 400 Level 3 qualifications for free, which are equivalent to A levels.
Qualifications are available that support workers in all sectors. There are 418 Free
Courses for Jobs offers approved for delivery available in construction.</p><p>Skills
Bootcamps are free, flexible courses of up to 16 weeks, giving people the opportunity
to build up sector-specific skills, with an offer of a job interview with an employer
on completion. Skills Bootcamps are available in a variety of skill areas. Skills
Bootcamps in the construction sector are open for applications in all regions.</p><p>High-quality
careers information, advice, and guidance are key to helping people to make informed
decisions about their future, including being able to find out about and consider
the different options, including those in construction, available to them.</p><p>The
Careers & Enterprise Company is supporting schools and colleges to embed best
practice in the delivery of careers information, advice and guidance, so young people
are aware of the full range of training and careers available to them and have access
to a broad range of employers and workplaces, including those in the construction
sectors. This will be delivered through the national roll-out of Career Hubs, Career
Leader training, and the Enterprise Adviser Network.</p><p>The National Careers Service
website gives customers access to a range of useful digital tools and resources to
support them including ‘Explore Careers’ which includes more than 130 industry areas
and more than 800 job profiles including a range of key sector careers available,
descriptions of what those roles entail, qualifications and entry routes. The content
team regularly researches and updates content and welcomes updates from industry to
ensure content is accurate and up to date.</p>
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