As we celebrate National Apprenticeship Week (9th-15th February 2026), Go Construct spoke to three young apprentices at the Construction Industry Training Board’s (CITB) National Construction College – hearing about what they do at the college, what they enjoy about their apprenticeships and their hopes for the future.
What is the National Construction College?
The National Construction College (NCC) is CITB’s dedicated construction training centre, located at three campuses, in Kent, Norfolk and Scotland. Courses range from one day health and safety training for construction employees to three-year apprenticeships for school leavers and people changing careers. The NCC delivers industry-led training in specialised areas of construction that puts apprentices into real-life daily situations. Alongside the industry-specific elements of its training the NCC is proud of the way it develops skills for life in its apprentices – the theme of National Apprenticeship Week this year.
The NCC offers apprenticeship standards in Demolition, Groundworks and construction, Plant, Roofing and Scaffolding and access.
Meet the NCC’s construction apprentices
Lauren Murphy, Hayley Kincella and Ella Tottle are all Groundworker Level 2 apprentices with J. Murphy & Sons Ltd, an engineering and construction company that specialises in infrastructure projects. Apprentices with Murphy go on to have careers in a wide range of sectors and services, from engineering to building and utilities, and it is a company that invests heavily in its apprentices. Lauren, Hayley and Ella are attending the National Construction College 20 month Groundworks course to achieve their nationally recognised qualification.
What made you want to do a construction apprenticeship?
Lauren: As an apprentice, you get the best of both worlds. I was never academic but coming into something completely new like construction or groundwork, I thought ‘combine the two’, get an education qualification and I also get to go to work and earn a wage.
I knew about apprenticeships for some time but I didn't know my employer Murphy specifically did them. I always thought an apprenticeship was for 16 to 18 year olds or up to 21 but I was like: ‘Wow - I can do this’. So, I applied and here I am.
Hayley: I also work for Murphy's as a groundworker. Any kind of labour that's on the ground I'm sure we have something to do with it. I wasn't really going down the academic path in school and it just seemed like something that I could get stuck into and I'd enjoy. Because I had no knowledge prior to starting this, I thought it was the best way for me to gain knowledge as well as actively working. I just thought it was the better option all round.
Ella: Like Lauren and Hayley I'm also doing the Groundworker Level 2 apprenticeship. I didn't want to be stuck with a debt from university all my life. In college a couple of years ago we had loads of conversations about both of them together. With this, you get paid with training so I chose an apprenticeship.
What do you like about the NCC?
Hayley: I'm getting a lot of knowledge from it and things that I'm not necessarily learning on site. They teach us in-depth more about why we're doing something or how we're doing it. From the moment you get here at NCC you're greeted nicely, you have really good accommodation, obviously the food three times a day is amazing! The college is just really good. I'm doing functional skills while I'm here as well, as I was struggling with Maths and English, and they're so supportive.
Ella: At NCC, everyone on the welfare team's amazing, and you've got the canteen. The rooms are brilliant. It's mostly practical so this college is 20% classroom based and then 80% outside. I would really recommend it. I'd say go for it. It's hard work but you learn it all and obviously there's stuff to help. The teachers are brilliant, so I'd really recommend it.
What does the future hold?
Lauren: I do groundworks at the moment but I know that there's a lot you can do and specialise in. If I can specialise in the next five years, maybe in plant or get up on a crane, do some drainage, bricklaying, why not get your hands involved in everything?
There's always going to be construction – there's always something being built whether it be garages, homes, substations or tunnels, there's going to be work forever and we're always going to be needed.
Hayley: Long term I think that once I've finished this apprenticeship I'll maybe even look to doing some sort of graduate scheme or even another apprenticeship in another area. Maybe move up the chain a little bit, getting more involved with machinery and plant, that's my goal. I'd say to others ‘just go for it’. It's not just a stepping stone job, it's definitely a career for life. There's so many avenues you can take.
Building careers for women in construction
Construction is a welcoming and inclusive industry for women, with more women working in the sector than ever before. Females now make up 15% of the UK construction workforce, according to the latest figures from the Office for National Statistics. But it could be more. Those same figures show that only 2% of on-site trade roles are being done by women. But as Lauren, Hayley and Ella show, no career is off-limits. There are also construction careers in architecture, engineering and new technology, with apprenticeships available at a range of levels.
Learn more about apprenticeships with Go Construct
Find out about what’s happening during National Apprenticeship Week near you, and learn more about the 170+ different careers available in construction (below). Individuals can also create a profile on Go Construct Careers to view current apprenticeship opportunities.