How do people end up in the jobs they do? It’s not always through polished CVs or perfect plans. Often, it’s through someone giving them a chance, showing them the ropes, and believing they can grow into something more.
That’s why National Apprenticeship Week exists. It celebrates the importance of apprentices to the future of our country and promotes apprenticeships as a way of learning.
Nationally, apprenticeships are growing. Government data shows 353,500 starts in 2024/25, up 4.1% year‑on‑year, with strong growth at higher and degree levels. It’s a sign that ‘earn while you learn’ is a route that is becoming attractive to more people, for pretty obvious reasons.
Of particular relevance to us, trades and construction still face a skills pinch and an ageing workforce. The Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) estimates the sector needs around 48,000 extra workers a year over the next five years, so attracting and training new talent is essential if we’re going to solve the housing crisis.
So apprenticeships are a crucial part of Coastline’s present and future. They help us ‘grow our own’, shaping the skills we know we’ll need, and ensuring our teams have the right people for the future.
We also think we have a key role to play as a major employer in Cornwall by developing the local workforce rather than relying on others to do it for us.
Last week I talked to Hannah, our Assistant Director of People & Culture, to get an update on where we are with our apprenticeship programme. Hannah highlighted how we’ve fundamentally shifted our approach.
In the past, apprentices were offered a permanent role only if a vacancy happened to come up at the right time. That meant we could invest in someone for years and then see another employer benefit.
Now we do it the other way around: we only create an apprenticeship where we know we’ll need a permanent role at the end (assuming performance and studies align with our expectations and values of course!). This gives the apprentice stability and gives us a planned pipeline of future talent.
We’ve also introduced dedicated mentors, which is already paying off. One great example is our new fenestration apprentice, Liam. His training provider couldn’t speak highly enough of both Liam and his mentor, Chris. And Liam’s enthusiasm extends well beyond working hours - he even practised taking the conservatory door off at home (thankfully his Dad agreed he’d done a great job!).
We had a chance to celebrate our apprentices and our apprentice programme at the Eden Project recently, where Grace (Extra Care) and former apprentice Luca (now in a permanent role in the housing team) were shortlisted at the Cornwall Apprenticeship Awards. There was some tough competition and inspiring stories on the evening, so while Grace and Luca didn’t win, we are enormously proud of their achievement in being shortlisted.
In total, we now have 15 apprentices, up from four or five just two years ago. They have become a core part of our resourcing and succession planning, not something we do on the margins.
And when I look at our apprentices today, I see people taking their first steps, sometimes a little unsure, often brilliantly enthusiastic, and always learning in real time, on real jobs, in real teams. It’s a reminder that talent doesn’t arrive fully formed. It develops because someone believes in it and chooses to invest in it.