The Skills Centre, one of the UK’s leading construction training providers, has launched a cutting-edge apprenticeship scheme specialising in dry lining.

Designed in collaboration with employers and endorsed by industry body, FIS: Finishes & Interiors Sector, this specialist training programme will launch in March at The Skills Centre’s new green skills training facility in Edgware, run in partnership with Ballymore, Places for London and Barnet Council. The programme will then expand to The Skills Centre’s Build East facility at The Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park and into a new custom facility in Essex later this year.

With demand for new housing, and the need to upgrade buildings across the UK to help optimise space and deliver net-zero emissions by 2050, demand for interior systems, insulation and retrofit skills is surging. Yet, the industry faces a critical shortage of trained professionals. The new interior systems and dry-lining apprenticeship will help bridge this gap by equipping learners with some of the essential skills required to meet these targets. An estimated 3.4 million properties in London alone require retrofitting, and with 78% of construction employers reporting retrofit skills shortages, this training is timely and essential.

The dry-lining apprenticeship training will cover:
Partition Walls
MF Ceilings
Grid Ceilings
Shaft Walls
Metsec Installation
Rainscreen Cladding
Passive Fire Protection

Apprentices will gain additional qualifications in:
NVQ L2 Interior Systems
PASMA
CSCS
SSSTS (if eligible)

This apprenticeship is open to those seeking to build a successful career within the construction sector, providing the skills, knowledge, and behaviours necessary to establish a strong foundation in the industry.

Supporting Employer Recruitment: To assist employers with recruitment, The Skills Centre offers 8-week interior systems bootcamps for new entrants. These bootcamps provide a mix of classroom and practical training, including CSCS Green Card, and allow employers to meet pre-screened candidates and conduct two-week trial placements before committing to an apprenticeship hire. This provides companies with access to a pipeline of engaged, local candidates equipped with the relevant skills to excel in the apprenticeship programme from day 1.

Jon Howlin, CEO of The Skills Centre, said: “Recruiting quality candidates has been a significant challenge for many in the construction industry. Our apprenticeship and bootcamp programmes are designed to alleviate this by providing a vital pipeline of skilled, local talent ready to meet the industry’s evolving demands.

He added, “The Skills Centre is committed to collaborating with employers and construction companies to ensure that local people have access to opportunities in the industry and that our partners receive the skilled workforce they need for their projects.”

While the Interior Systems Apprenticeship is a new addition to The Skills Centre’s delivery, they have been providing apprenticeships in Groundwork, Formwork, Steel Fixing and Highways Maintenance for several years, and recently received a Good overall grade from OFSTED with Outstanding marks for Adult Education Provisions.

FIS CEO Iain McIlwee added: “Employers want people, people want jobs that allow them to earn and develop and government want a productive workforce, yet we seem to make it complicated and consistently fail to meet the expectations of each other. It is refreshing to be working so closely with The Skills Centre to rethink the way that we put it all together and deliver a programme that can work for everyone. Flexible, practical and quality provision, tailored to employer need in an environment that supports the individuals is what this is all about.

“Plugging in the Bootcamps makes sense too, it means employers and individuals can start the process, help people get productive early and ensure that we are investing in the people that want to and will be able to carve a career out in our industry with full knowledge of what that is before the serious investment starts. The next five years is going to see major reform of the apprenticeship model and this is a fabulous way to kick that off in the finishes and interiors sector.”

The Skills Centre are working with a number of employers to support both the Bootcamp and the Apprenticeship, including Measom, one of the leading Drywall Contractors in the UK and an integral part of the construction industry.

Rikki Wild, Training Manager at Measom said, “Creating clear and accessible entry points into the dry lining industry is crucial for its long-term success, and this programme achieves just that. By combining intensive bootcamps with structured apprenticeships, we are offering a comprehensive pathway for new talent to enter the sector, providing them with the essential skills and knowledge from the very start. At Measom, we recognise the great value of practical, employer-led training that ensures apprentices are fully prepared and confident when working on-site. This initiative plays a key role in helping employers like us develop a highly skilled, adaptable, and sustainable workforce, which is vital to meeting the future needs and challenges of the industry.”