“Increasingly more apprentices are becoming ‘at risk’ of being laid off, and to stem this tide we need more employers, who have the capacity to offer training opportunities to these young people.” If this doesn’t happen, then the UK’s construction sector risks seeing the continuation of skills shortages that have plagued the industry since the last recession.”

One employer which made use of the AMS was Newcastle-based JD Joinery and Building, which recently took on student Paul Mitchell to help him complete his training.

JD Joinery and Building director Joe Dixon, said: “I’m so pleased to be able to accommodate apprentices in spite of the downturn. They should all be given a chance to start out on the right foot when they enter the professional world, and I’m proud of the training I can offer them.” Paul Mitchell, 19, said: “I was made redundant last August when I was coming to the end of my NVQ Level 2 in Bricklaying. I was worried I might not be able to go on to do my NVQ Level 3, but in October I got a call from ConstructionSkills, asking if I could see Joe at JD Joinery for an interview.

“I was so relieved when he offered me a job. The company has a great atmosphere and I’m really grateful that I’ve been able to continue working in construction.”