Insights helps Travis Perkins raise women apprentice recruits to 28% in 1 year

Background and objectives

Travis Perkins partnered with Insights to strengthen its apprenticeship programme with a focus on communication skills and self-awareness for all apprentices.

As the UK’s building sector continued to face a growing skills shortage, low diversity and minimal youth engagement, the company saw an opportunity to expand its successful internal programme into one that could benefit the entire industry.

Our strategic solution

Insights Discovery is a core part of Travis Perkins’ industry-wide LEAP Apprenticeship Programme. Delivered by a professionally accredited in-house facilitator, every apprentice takes part in an Insights Discovery workshop and receives a personal profile early in their journey.

The programme is tailored to different apprentice pathways:

• Management apprentices receive additional leadership-focused chapters to understand their management style and learn how to adapt it to lead diverse teams.
• Sales apprentices engage with Insights Discovering Sales Effectiveness to align their natural communication style with effective influencing and customer engagement.

As apprentices progress, they return to their profiles to reflect, adapt, and deepen their understanding of themselves and others in increasingly complex workplace situations.

Measurable impact

The result of Insights Discovery is not just better communication, but higher engagement, stronger collaboration and improved learning outcomes.

• Greater completion and performance: 85% of apprentices now achieve merit or distinction; self-aware apprentices are more likely to succeed and become effective leaders.
• Support for DEI&B: In a sector that’s 88% male, 40% of new recruits are female. Insights equips all apprentices with the tools to communicate across differences, adapt to diverse teams and build inclusive relationships.
• Sustainable transformation: With strong soft skills and emotional intelligence, apprentices are prepared to thrive, grow and help shape a more inclusive future-ready sector.