More than 40,000 future construction workers will be trained by 2029 at new ‘technical excellence colleges’ unveiled on 12 August.
The specialist colleges will be in every region of England to train the workforce needed to support economic growth and deliver the government’s 1.5 million new homes target.
The 10 new colleges are: Derby College Group, East Midlands; West Suffolk College, East of England; New City College, Greater London; City of Sunderland College, North East; Wigan and Leigh College, North West; North Kent College, South East; Exeter College, South West; Bedford College, cross-regional; Dudley College of Technology, West Midlands; and Leeds College of Building, Yorkshire and the Humber.
Backed by a £100m investment, the colleges are part of the government’s drive to develop the domestic workforce and reduce the reliance on overseas workers.
This builds on the £600m investment announced in March, which will be used separately to train up to 60,000 more skilled construction workers by 2029.
The specialist colleges will work closely with industry employers, existing colleges and local community stakeholders to ensure students receive training and skills that will lead to long-term employment.
The colleges will support young people breaking into the industry at the start of their careers as apprentices, as well as established workers who want to upskill for better paid jobs.
Investing in ‘homegrown talent’
Bridget Phillipson, education secretary, said: “We need skilled workers to deliver the homes, schools and hospitals that communities across the country are crying out for, and today’s announcement underlines our commitment to the next generation of homegrown talent.
“Construction technical excellence colleges will enable us to invest in people and give them the skills they need to break down barriers to opportunity in an industry that is essential to delivering growth through our Plan for Change.”
In June, the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) published its forecast of the skills needed to meet future industry demand.
The Construction Workforce Outlook 2025-29 revealed that the industry requires an additional 47,860 workers per year.
Tim Balcon, CITB’s chief executive, said: “It’s wonderful to see the progress being made towards establishing these technical excellence colleges for construction.
“They represent a transformative opportunity for people to complete local vocational training, helping to drive regional growth and nurture the next generation of skilled construction workers in local communities.
“This builds brilliantly on the wider £600m construction skills package we’re delivering in partnership with government, helping create a robust pipeline of talent that will break down barriers to opportunity, delivering good jobs and powering economic growth across the UK.”
Industry reaction
Commenting on the announcement, Andrew Hockey, CEO at the Engineering Construction Industry Training Board, said: “Investing in further education and independent training providers is critical for both the construction and engineering construction industries to equip learners with sustainable, transferable and future-proofed skills.
“The construction and engineering construction workforces will be critical in delivering the UK’s industrial strategy, including major projects such as the nuclear new build sites at Hinkley Point C and Sizewell C and nascent industries such as hydrogen and carbon capture.”
Roger Morton, director of business change at the National House-Building Council (NHBC), also welcomed the launch of the new specialist colleges.
“It’s fantastic to see such support for construction skills, and this commitment to training chimes with NHBC’s focus on learning,” Morton said.
“We’re investing £100m into our own national training programme, funding 12 new multi-skill training hubs around the UK.
“Providing an immersive, on-site learning experience, these hubs will deliver high-quality apprentices across a range of key trades, including bricklaying, groundworks and site carpentry.
“With government, the wider housebuilding industry and training providers aligning, we can plug the skills gap and deliver quality new homes at pace.”
Long-term solution needed
Darren Littlewood, chief financial officer at Henry Boot, said the government’s investment in the colleges is a “welcome step” towards addressing construction’s skills gap.
But he added: “To truly future-proof our workforce, training must go beyond meeting immediate labour shortages – it needs to embed low-carbon construction techniques, modern methods of construction and digital skills from the outset.”
“By combining technical excellence with sustainability and community-focused outcomes, we can create a resilient, high-skilled workforce that not only meets housing targets, but delivers projects that stand the test of time for the people and places they serve.”
