Princess Royal meets apprentices building a future

Tegan Pryor said bricklaying can be "male dominated" but it was not "stereotyped" in the way people thought

Young apprentices have met the Princess Royal at a training hub that aims to close the national skills gap and housing shortage.

Princess Anne attended the official opening of the National House Building Council’s (NHBC) bricklaying apprenticeship training hub in Impington, Cambridgeshire.

About 225,000 more construction workers are needed in the UK by 2027 to meet demand, says the NHBC.

Young apprentices encouraged people from all walks of life to give it a go.

Toby Egan said his bricklaying apprenticeship would open up career pathways for him

Toby Egan, 23, of Haverhill, Suffolk, was a former goalkeeper for Ipswich Town Football Club in the reserve team.

He trained with the club from 12 years old before he was released.

"I found myself not knowing where to look going forward, it was brutal industry," he told BBC Look East.

"I have finally found a path where I can see myself progressing and it is nice to do something, stand back, and feel proud about what you have done."

As a father, he added that he wanted to learn skills which he could pass on to future generations.

Tawona Mativi, 29, was one of the apprentices meeting Princess Anne

The apprentices spend their first five weeks being taught by a bricklaying tutor. A typical day lasts about six hours.

Tegan Pryor, 22, from Shefford, Bedfordshire, said: "It's definitely a male dominated job but it's very good and not all the stereotypes that people say it is."

Ms Pryor added that she was not treated differently as female bricklayer and encouraged any girl leaving school, or woman looking to change career, "to go for it".

With royal assistance, Mr Stewart said NHBC was trying to "dispel the myth" bricklaying was "a hard, dirty and low-paying role"

Darryl Stewart, from NHBC’s apprentice training programme, said about 75,000 new homes were needed to hit the government's target of building 300,000 more every year by 2025.

"But there are only 42,000 bricklayers in home building, meaning an extra 33,000 are now needed," he said.

"This means we must find ways to encourage people from all walks of life to join the sector."

He added that some apprentices completed their training in 14 months, a "standout difference from the 30-month timescale more traditional learning routes take".

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