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Ibstock and NHBC Join Forces to Tackle Skills Shortage and Support Next-Generation Bricklayers
15 July 2026
Ibstock has partnered with the National House Building Council (NHBC) to help address the construction industry’s skills gap and support the next generation of skilled tradespeople.
As part of this partnership, Ibstock is donating thousands of bricks to the existing and planned NHBC multi-skill training hubs across the UK. The bricks will be used by apprentices for hands-on, practical training, ensuring they gain real-world experience from day one. Ibstock are also supporting the training hubs with masterclass. The partnership marks the start of a shared commitment between Ibstock and NHBC to inspire and educate future bricklayers.
Supporting High-Quality Training
NHBC is investing £100 million to create 12 new multi-skill training hubs across the UK, delivering up to 3,000 new apprenticeships every year. The training hubs are designed to tackle the skills shortage head-on by providing immersive, expert-led training in real site conditions from day one. Apprentices are currently completing their training in as little as 14 to 18 months, nearly twice as fast as more traditional education routes, fully preparing them for life on site.
Alongside supplying materials, Ibstock is supporting the NHBC training hubs through product guidance and participation in quality and technical focused masterclasses, helping to reinforce understanding of why material choice really matters along with best practice in brickwork and NHBC Standards.
A Shared Vision for the Future
By teaming up with NHBC, Ibstock is helping to close the skills gap and build more high-quality homes for the future. This partnership reflects Ibstock’s commitment to sustainability, social impact and responsible manufacturing, while supporting NHBC’s mission to grow top industry talent trained to NHBC Standards, the gold standard for quality in housebuilding.
Ibstock and NHBC are exploring further opportunities to strengthen their partnership, including factory tours and potential collaboration on diversity and inclusion initiatives. Together, they aim to make a lasting impact on the industry and local communities.
Cheryl Brown, Head of Corporate Affairs & Social Impact at Ibstock commented: At Ibstock, we are more than manufacturing materials; we’re about helping to build futures. Investing in people and communities is at the heart of our values. By supporting NHBC’s multi-skill training hubs, we’re helping apprentices gain the skills they need to succeed and ensuring the future of high-quality housebuilding in the UK, while also sharing technical expertise to support quality and best practice.
Darryl Stewart, Head of Commercial Services at NHBC said: NHBC’s multi-skill training hubs are leading the way in helping to address the UK’s construction skills crisis. With a severe shortage of bricklayers and more than 206,000 extra construction workers needed by 2030, we must act now. You can’t create a skilled workforce overnight. That’s why we’re investing in practical, long-term training that delivers real impact.NHBC’s multi-skill training hubs provide high-quality apprenticeships in bricklaying, groundwork, site carpentry and timber frame construction, giving learners hands-on experience from day one. Partnerships like this with Ibstock are vital to tackling the skills shortage and helping to train the future workforce to build the homes the UK needs. Its support strengthens the quality training we offer and ensures apprentices across the UK benefit from using real materials inreal site conditions from day one.
> Read more about how we are Building Skills at Ibstock here.
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