The Thermal Insulation Contractors Association (TICA) is urging public authorities to put apprenticeships at the heart of new public procurement regulations - ensuring major construction projects drive long-term skills development rather than focusing solely on cost-cutting.

Under the new Procurement Regulations, which come into effect on 24th February, public authorities must publish at least three key performance indicators (KPIs) for contracts exceeding £5 million. TICA is calling on decision-makers to make apprenticeship investment a key metric, ensuring that companies awarded public contracts play an active role in tackling the industry’s growing skills shortage.

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 an ageing workforce and too few new entrants. Meanwhile, 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 that 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 the chance 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.”

Skills Development at Risk in Major UK Projects

Recent examples highlight the urgent need for reform. Two high-profile projects—a £1 billion industrial development backed by the Welsh Government and a waste-to-energy facility creating 600 construction jobs—have awarded thermal insulation contracts to foreign companies using overseas labour. In both cases, not a single UK-based thermal insulation apprentice will gain experience on these sites.

“Companies that invest in training the next generation are often losing out to firms that prioritise short-term cost savings over long-term sustainability,” Ridge said. “That has to change. We need procurement policies that reward companies making a genuine commitment to skills development. Otherwise, we are simply continuing a race to the bottom.”

Industry-Led Action

TICA members have already taken proactive steps, directly funding the trade body’s national apprentice training centre, which is seeing rising apprenticeship numbers year on year. Initiatives such as She Insulates Too and One More Apprentice are helping to attract more diverse talent into the industry.

“Apprenticeships are essential to the future of the construction sector,” Ridge concluded. “Public procurement must reflect that reality by setting meaningful KPIs that measure long-term social value, not just cost. Anything less fails both our industry and the next generation of skilled workers.”