Overview
- Most colleges now have waiting lists for construction courses, with the sector reporting 86% affected and many closing September intakes.
- Leeds College of Building turned away about 600 applicants last September and still has hundreds on waiting lists for full-time and evening classes.
- More adults and white-collar workers are switching to trades they see as better paid and less exposed to AI, and some, like a former accountant in London, spent months hunting for a place.
- Colleges say a 'lag' funding rule that pays based on the prior year’s headcount left them short after enrolling 32,000 extra students in 2025, with about £80 million provided against roughly £220 million in costs.
- College leaders warn up to 20,000 applicants could be turned away this September, most in construction, and industry groups say the gap risks missing housing and net-zero goals without rapid investment.