Construction skills pipeline to support major projects across Cambridgeshire

CITB is working in partnership with the National Skills Academy for Construction (NSAfC), Urban&Civic and Constructed Pathways to build a long-term construction skills pipeline that supports major regeneration projects across Cambridgeshire.

The partnership connects workforce planning directly to some of the largest development programmes in the region, including Waterbeach, Alconbury Weald and St Neots. Collectively, these sites represent thousands of new homes, major infrastructure investment and decades of construction activity.

At the heart of the collaboration is a commitment to widening access to construction careers. The programme actively reaches people who are economically inactive, helping them re-engage with employment through structured training and supported entry routes into the industry.

For CITB, this work represents a model of place-based partnership aligning investment, employers and training providers around a shared vision. The ambition is not simply to fill vacancies but to transform lives, strengthen communities and ensure Cambridgeshire has a skilled, diverse and resilient construction workforce for the future.

Through the NSAfC framework, employers are engaged from the outset ensuring training reflects real site demand and leads to genuine job opportunities. The framework is a way of working that enables partners to gain the skills they need on site, on time. Developed by CITB and approved by industry, it provides structure and direction to help deliver consistent, high-quality training on a live construction project.

Working in partnership with DWP, Sodexo/HMP Service, the local authority and the Council Youth Impact Team, Constructed Pathways is developing training solutions aligned to the skills industry has identified as most valuable. To date, they have delivered bricklaying taster sessions, intensive six-week bricklaying bootcamps, and Plant Operative and Class 2 HGV bootcamps.

Urban&Civic’s long-term stewardship of the developments creates the stability needed to think beyond short-term labour supply. The focus is on building a local workforce legacy - creating progression routes, supporting apprenticeships and embedding social value into how construction is delivered across the region.

Nathan Wilkins, CITB Customer Engagement Manager, said: “This is just the beginning. The long-term vision is to create a sustainable pipeline of new entrants ready to start meaningful careers in construction, supported by systems that allow them to continue developing their technical skills in line with regional demand. This is a strong start, and now we build momentum.”

Find out more about the benefits of adopting the NSAfC Framework