New Entrant Support Team

We’ll help you overcome the challenges of hiring new workers, so you can focus on building your business.

Finding, recruiting and retaining an apprentice or new entrant shouldn’t be difficult. The New Entrant Support Team (NEST) can support employers throughout the process.

Our free, hands-on support helps with:

  • Recruiting new entrants and apprentices

  • Managing paperwork

  • Accessing grants and funding

  • Ongoing employee mentoring and support.

How we help hire apprentices

We’ll help you find the right fit for your business by:

  • Promoting your apprenticeship vacancies online

  • Signposting you to useful employment resources.

We’ll make sure you’re set up to receive CITB apprenticeship grants:

  • Attendance grant: £2,500 per year, per apprentice

  • Achievement grant: £3,500 on successful completion.

We’ll sort out the admin by:

  • Helping complete apprenticeship paperwork

  • Liaising with training providers and more.

How we help support apprentices

We offer free three-hour Mentoring Standard sessions. These help you understand current apprenticeship standards and the important role of mentors. Sessions can be face-to-face or online.

The Mentoring Standard includes:

  • What is mentoring?

  • Employer and apprentice responsibilities

  • Good practice of a willing mentor

  • The five golden rules to mentoring

  • Four key stages in a mentoring relationship

  • Structuring a mentoring conversation

  • Mentoring topics and example questions

  • Giving effective feedback

  • Apprentice behaviour and quality of work

  • Further support needs, including advice on drug use and mental health.

Watch our short support videos for more information.

Book your free mentoring session

Contact your local NEST adviser, call 03004566431, email newentrant.team@citb.co.uk or use the form below

What employers say about NEST

"Amanda helped us to update all our existing apprentices with the CITB Grants department and offer advice and support on our apprentices starting their course in September 2024. Positive impact on our recruitment and training budget and our ability to further increase our apprenticeship programme."

- Shingler Construction Limited (Federation of Masters Builders)

"This has allowed us to take on our new apprentice without having the impact of having to pay for the apprenticeship, it has meant we are now considering employing another one. Allison was a great support to us in among a minefield of information, I didn’t know where to start but she walked me through everything and ‘kept me right’ every step of the way. Allison simplified the process for me for which I am very grateful."

- LC Lucas Construction: Tees Valley and CITB Funding and Levy Transfer

"Since initially enquiring a few things with CITB in February 2024, Theo has supported with my CITB registration, helped submit the apprentice attendance grant, created my CITB online portal and kept me up to date with all processes concerning me."

- Entire Scaffolding

Contact NEST today

Call: 0300 4566431

Email: newentrant.team@citb.co.uk

Or fill in our contact form and we'll get back to you.

You might also like

Go Construct Careers

The Future Skyline Skills Commitment

CITB has committed to supporting the Future Skyline Skills Commitment. Learn what that means and how to get involved.