The director of a building firm in Devon that has put five apprentices through their training — every one of them still with the business — is urging teenagers to consider a career in construction.

Dale Chadwick, of Dale Chadwick Carpentry & Construction Ltd, has had three apprentices qualify through the company, all achieving distinctions in some or all of their assessments. Two more are now entering their second year. Between them they have represented the firm at regional competitions and area meetings, and one has met the Prime Minister.

Dale Chadwick, who runs the family firm in Devon and sits on the Federation of Master Builders’ South West Area Board, said:

“For us, apprentices aren’t cheap labour — our work doesn’t allow for that. We need skill. We pay a fair living wage rather than the minimum, and we provide uniform, tools and travel to support them. In return, we’ve kept hold of every apprentice we’ve taken on.

“There’s no better way to learn than hands on — working with the materials, adapting to what happens on site, spotting problems as they come up. But there’s a huge skills gap to fill. The multi-generational building families don’t really exist anymore, and the school system is set up so that university is the target everyone’s told to aim for.”

His firm is one of thousands across the region taking on young people at a time when demand for skilled trades has rarely been higher.

New research from the Federation of Master Builders (FMB) shows the South West is the best-informed part of the UK when it comes to building careers.

Polling of over 2,000 UK adults found 90% of people in the region have heard of apprenticeships as a route into construction — the joint-highest figure of any UK region or nation. Awareness of BTECs is also joint-highest in the country at 65%, and just 4% of South West adults could not name a single route into the industry.

Iain Kirtley, South Director at the Federation of Master Builders, said: 

“Congratulations to everyone celebrating their recent results. Dale’s firm in Devon is exactly what our industry looks like at its best — a small local business investing properly in young people and keeping hold of every one of them.

“Our research shows the South West is the best-informed region in Britain on building careers, and that’s something to be proud of. But it raises the stakes. If young people here already know the routes into our industry, the question is no longer whether they’ve heard of an apprenticeship — it’s whether there’s one waiting for them when they go looking.

“With ambitious housebuilding targets and real uncertainty about what AI means for other careers, a trade is one of the most secure things a young person can go into. We have the appetite here in the South West. We now need the places to match it.”

Luke Moss, Skills and Employer Project Manager at South West Construction Technical Excellence College, Exeter College, concluded: 

“As students receive their GCSE results, many will be considering what comes next. For those interested in construction, apprenticeships combined with vocational qualifications offer a practical and highly respected route into the industry. These pathways equip learners with the technical skills and hands-on experience employers are looking for, while creating clear opportunities for long-term career development. Construction offers a wide range of roles and excellent prospects for ambitious young people ready to build their future.”

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