The island could suffer a skilled worker crisis if more is not done to improve apprenticeship take up, Construction Isle of Man (CIoM) has warned.

The industry body says it raised the alarm more than a year ago, over the impact of changes made by the Department for Education, Sport and Culture (DESC) to the apprenticeship scheme in April 2024.

CIoM has now issued a strongly-worded statement urging the government to address its concerns.

The statement says: ‘We are now facing the exact crisis we predicted with a significant decline in apprenticeship uptake, which threatens the future pipeline of skilled workers in a sector that already suffers from labour shortages and an ageing workforce.

‘This is not only a setback for the construction sector - it is a blow to the broader economy and to young people in the Isle of Man who have long relied on apprenticeships as a valuable and accessible route into skilled employment.’

The proliferation of smaller, independent operators rather than large firms has added to the problems, CIoM claims.

It says: ‘Where large firms once dominated the market with in-house teams, the sector is now heavily reliant on small, independent operators—often one or two-person outfits - subcontracted by larger firms on a job-by-job basis.

‘This move away from traditional employment models has undermined long-term workforce planning and training. Apprenticeships have been hit hardest.

‘Larger employers bear the unseen cost of their training, only to see apprentices leave for self-employment or move on to other firms once they become competent.’

CIoM says there needs to be government grants to make the apprenticeship model more stable.

The statement says: ‘CIoM is pushing for a formal review by the department into the real-life impact of its changes and is calling for meaningful dialogue to identify sustainable solutions.

‘The current approach is not working and urgent action is required to protect the long-term health of an industry that plays a critical role in our national infrastructure and economic development.’

Both DESC and the Department for Enterprise have been approached for comment.