Government partnership with industry unlocks £140m for fast-track homebuilding skills training

Working with the Government, the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) and the National House Building Council (NHBC) have announced a £140m investment in Homebuilding Skills Hubs to deliver fast-track apprenticeships and high-quality training.

Once fully rolled out, the hubs are estimated to deliver up to 5,000 new homebuilding apprenticeship starts and job opportunities each year to support the Government’s homebuilding target of 1.5 million new homes. The hubs will be funded and developed by CITB and NHBC.
Up to 32 hubs will be launched by 2027 and, depending on the type of apprenticeship and role, fast-track apprenticeships are 25% - 45% faster than traditional apprenticeships. The fast-track training will provide the on-site experience employers demand while being underpinned by an industry charter from lead homebuilders guaranteeing a base level of demand and a commitment to offering jobs and apprenticeships.

The Homebuilding Skills Hubs will initially provide training in areas of critical demand for homebuilding, including groundwork, site carpentry, and bricklaying. Across these professions, CITB estimates more than an additional 26,000 workers are needed to meet the Government's homebuilding target.

The hubs will stay flexible, ready to adapt to local housing needs and changes in regulations, with learners training in “real-life” site conditions for an immersive, hands-on experience led by expert trainers. Each hub is equipped with classrooms, welfare, and catering facilities, and a typical day includes six hours of practical training on a large outdoor concrete slab where apprentices construct substantial structures reflective of a homebuilding site.

CITB is investing £40 million alongside NHBC investing £100 million to establish the new Homebuilding Skills Hubs.

Minister for Skills, Baroness Jacqui Smith, said: “This government is committed to 1.5 million homes being built across this parliament, while breaking down barriers to opportunity by fixing our broken skills system.

“If we are to meet this ambitious target and fix the foundations of our economy, we need to ensure we have a skilled workforce, and give more apprentices a foot on the career ladder.

“We are the department for opportunity, and I am pleased that this initiative will enable apprentices to realise their potential.”

Tim Balcon, Chief Executive of CITB, said: “It is clear that we need to rethink how we train our workforce and be much more agile in our approach.

“We have worked closely with the homebuilding industry and government to develop a programme that is focussed on equipping individuals with the skills they need to be productive on site, in the most efficient way. This is truly a collaborative approach and one we are very excited about.

“This investment to launch 32 Homebuilding Skills Hubs will help meet the homebuilding targets while flattening peaks in demand for construction skills on homebuilding across the country.”

For any media enquiries, please contact: press.office@citb.co.uk.