October 23, 2025
The British Drilling Association (BDA) has joined a coalition of leading organisations* and professional bodies across the construction and built environment sectors in signing an open letter to the Prime Minister, the Rt Hon Sir Keir Starmer KCB KC MP, expressing grave concern over the Government’s proposed apprenticeship reforms.
The letter, coordinated by the British Woodworking Federation (BWF) and signed by over twenty industry leaders, including the Federation of Piling Specialists (FPS), warns that the proposed changes by Skills England risk “severely weakening” the training and competency standards that underpin safe and effective construction practice.
A Threat to Competence and Safety
The reforms under consideration would reduce the minimum duration of apprenticeships to just eight months and introduce a new end-point assessment framework that allows for partial or “sampled” assessment of competence criteria. Industry leaders have collectively condemned this approach as a “race to the bottom”, warning that it will result in inconsistency, lower confidence in qualifications, and undermine the competence of the future workforce.
As the letter states: “If Skills England continues down this path, we risk another Grenfell on the 1.5 million homes [the Government] plans to build, sending the message that construction needs to concentrate on cost-cutting over skills.”
The coalition highlights that such reforms directly conflict with the Building Safety Act 2022 and Dame Judith Hackitt’s call for a “universal shift in culture” towards competence and accountability in construction. Many of the industry’s existing competence frameworks are built around robust, employer-led apprenticeship routes, which would be critically undermined by these reforms.
The BDA’s Position
The BDA, which has long championed the importance of training, professional development, and measurable competence within the ground investigation and drilling industry, fully supports the letter’s call for Government to:
BDA Chair Mark Toye, who is among the signatories, commented: “Apprenticeships are not just a route into employment, they are a cornerstone of how we build competence, culture, and safety in construction. Diluting the training and assessment process risks undermining not only the credibility of qualifications, but also the safety of the people and infrastructure that depend on them. The BDA stands firmly with our industry colleagues in calling for a pause and proper consultation before any reforms are advanced.”
A Call for Collaboration
The coalition is urging the Government to work collaboratively with the industry through the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education (IfATE) and the Industry Competence Steering Group (ICSG), ensuring reforms reflect the real-world needs of employers and align with the overarching goal of building a competent, safe, and sustainable construction workforce.
The BDA continues to advocate for high-quality, structured training routes that ensure all operatives and professionals working in the drilling and ground investigation sector possess the skills, knowledge, experience, and behaviours (SKEB) necessary to perform safely and competently.
The Association will provide updates as discussions progress and encourages members to share their own experiences or views on apprenticeship reform with the BDA office to help inform future industry representation.
*As reported by the Construction Index: https://www.theconstructionindex.co.uk/news/view/construction-industry-rounds-on-pm-over-apprenticeships-reform
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