IronmongeryDirect

A third of companies and tradespeople (31%) who regularly hire apprentices feel that the program has been made harder due to the pandemic, as new ONS figures show a 30% drop in new construction apprentices between August and October 2020, compared to the same period the previous year.

Joinery businesses are among the cheapest trade companies to set up in the UK, averaging nearly £2,500 less than other sectors, new research has revealed. With over 40% of construction firms expected to make redundancies due to the virus, tradespeople may be considering going self-employed. IronmongeryDirect, UK-based supplier of specialist ironmongery, has identified the cheapest industries in which to do so.