Developing Skills For The Future Of Construction

National Apprenticeship Week 2026

 

National Apprenticeship Week is an annual week-long celebration in the UK designed to showcase the value, benefits, and opportunities of apprenticeships for individuals, businesses, and the economy.

At IG, apprenticeships are a core part of the business, with apprentices taking on real responsibilities while developing skills for the future. Our programmes are structured and valued, helping to build capability and strong working relationships across the organisation. Fully embedded within teams, apprentices contribute to meaningful projects while gaining experience that supports both their own progression and the long-term needs of the business.

Skills, training, and development are particularly critical in construction and manufacturing, where high-risk environments and rapid change make expertise essential. Through our apprenticeships, individuals learn directly from experienced colleagues, developing the technical, practical, and professional skills needed to work safely, efficiently, and to the high standards expected in the industry. By investing in workforce development in this way, IG ensures both the growth of our people and the long-term success of the business.

 

Our approach to apprenticeships

 

Apprentices sit across key areas of the business, with a strong focus on technical and manufacturing roles. The number of apprenticeship opportunities offered annually varies depending on business requirements, ensuring roles are meaningful, strategic, and supported. All apprenticeships offered are higher-level programmes, typically lasting four years, allowing our apprentices to combine academic learning with hands-on experience to reflect industry demands.

Apprentices are supported day-to-day by senior engineers and experienced colleagues, who provide guidance, answer questions, and share the knowledge they have built up over years in the industry. This close working relationship gives apprentices insight not only into how tasks are completed, but also why standards and processes matter. By learning directly from experienced team members, apprentices build confidence, develop their skills more quickly, and are well-prepared to progress into full-time roles within the business.

 

Apprentice perspectives

 

Brajesh Lal: Technical Engineering Apprentice, IG Lintels

Apprenticeship length: 4 years

 

Brajesh’s typical day involves working on new enquiries, amendments, and calculations for national housebuilders. He specifies the required lintels and windposts for each project and, where specifications are challenged, provides calculations to justify his design choices while liaising with merchants, structural engineers, and builders by phone and email.

“Working for IG Lintels is enjoyable as every new project is different, new aims and objectives arise, allowing me as an engineer to improve from my previous mistakes.”

Through his apprenticeship, Brajesh has developed skills such as attention to detail, time management, engineering at best practice principles, and communication by talking to structural engineers, site managers, and effectively working with other engineers.

“Choosing an apprenticeship was the right choice for me because my learning style involves a mix of practical and theory. It has taught me confidence in my skills and given me a clearer understanding of the industry and my career path.”

Brajesh credits working alongside experienced colleagues as key to his development. They help him with job responsibilities and advise him on the best ways to approach tasks, allowing him to develop a more efficient method of working professionally.

“My colleagues at IG Lintels have helped massively with my development since I started. There’s always someone ready to support me with work in the office or any questions I have about my university studies.”

Some of the projects Brajesh has enjoyed the most include creating schedules for large new housebuilder projects, which included numerous house types and apartments. These projects have allowed him to prove to himself that he is capable of applying his knowledge to a large scale of new builds.

Looking ahead, Brajesh sees himself becoming more proficient at his role and taking greater responsibility over projects, whilst expanding his knowledge through exposure to more projects.

“An apprenticeship requires a lot of effort, attention, and constant learning with real-life responsibilities. However, there is immense professional and academic growth that comes with the apprenticeship. If you are a practical learner and would like to be paid to learn, then I would suggest you go for it!”

Supporting apprentices allows IG Lintels to invest in future capability and ensure that technical knowledge and best practice are shared consistently across the business.

 

Manager Perspective

 

Simon Wright: Technical Account Manager

 

From a management perspective, apprenticeships are about developing long-term capability while bringing fresh thinking into the business:

“Apprenticeships give us the opportunity to bring young, energetic people into the business who are willing to learn and develop into potential future leaders. Along the way, we teach them the IG way, but we also give them the freedom to bring their own ideas and knowledge to the table, particularly around new technology.”

Simon highlights the value of combining formal learning with hands-on experience:

“The degree apprenticeship provides a recognised engineering qualification to support their development, but no course teaches you about lintels or our products. Being hands-on at IG gives apprentices exposure to real-world business scenarios where commercial awareness is just as important as technical knowledge.”

Apprentices also play an important role within teams, contributing to both culture and performance:

“Apprentices bring a younger feel to the team. When several join at the same time, they build friendships and quickly become influential members of the group. The blend of age and experience helps keep energy levels high and challenges how we think, bringing the best out of each other.”

Over time, Simon has seen significant growth in confidence and capability of apprentices:

“We’ve seen apprentices develop from being quite shy to becoming confident and comfortable speaking to customers. Learning how to communicate by answering calls, writing emails and understanding what information is needed is where some of the biggest development happens. IG gives them the opportunity to take responsibility and stand on their own two feet.”

 

Long-term impact

Apprenticeships support long-term performance by helping the business retain skills, maintain quality and build future capability. Apprentices typically move into permanent roles at the end of their programmes, strengthening continuity within teams.

By investing in structured, long-term development, IG builds specialists and future leaders who understand the business from the ground up. This approach supports both consistency of output and sustainable growth.

 

Looking ahead

As part of National Apprenticeship Week 2026, we’ll be sharing more stories that highlight the people behind our apprenticeships and the teams that support them.

Follow our social channels throughout the week to hear more, or find out more about careers at IG and how apprenticeships contribute to developing skills for the future of UK construction here: https://keystonegroup.co.uk/careers/early-careers/apprenticeships/