Damian Walters, the chief executive of the British Institute of Kitchen, Bedroom & Bathroom Installation (BiKBBI) has welcomed the UK Government’s decision to create 120,000 new apprenticeship and training opportunities before the next general election, heralding the news as “a real shift in focus” by policymakers.
From January 2026, the government says that it will shift funding away from masters-level apprenticeships to focus on training at lower levels. It says this will allow it to expand the UK’s workforce, as part of its “plan for change”.
In this financial year alone, the government says it has set aside a budget of more than £3bn specifically for training, and will create more than 30,000 apprenticeships in the next four years.
Walters praised the development, saying: “It feels like momentum is building and that the much-needed focus and investment in construction careers for young people is closer than it has been for some time.”
“We have worked tirelessly over many years to raise awareness of the skills shortage and to promote apprenticeships as a solution to the ever-growing problem. We fully support this move – it is very much a step in the right direction and, if executed alongside changes to support micro-SME’s to take on an apprentice, it will make a tangible difference to the fitted interiors sector, which offers many opportunities for young people to learn a trade and earn a wage.
He also added: “For a long time there has been a lot of talk about the problem and little action to create a solution. But it does feel like there is now a real shift in focus, and there is still time to fix the problem but we must act now to build a sustainable future of our industry and thousands of young people across the UK.”
In other news, the BiKBBI recently announced plans to change the name of its organisation later on this year. In October, the BiKBBI will be renamed to the British Institute of Fitted Interiors Specialists (BIFIS), which Walters said better reflects its “leading role within the Fitted Interiors Construction & RMI Super Sector review”.
