Homebuilding Sector Skills Plan

Members from the homebuilding sector have worked together to develop a Sector Plan to recruit and train the workforce of the future.

CITB is investing over £3m to support the Homebuilding Sector Skills Plan, with a focus on strategic skills activities that directly benefit employers:

Partner a College

New for 2024

The Partner a College project, in partnership with HBF, connects further education (FE) colleges and tutors with homebuilding employers to enhance learners' experiences and improve FE tutors' knowledge of current building techniques. It will foster employer engagement, aiming to increase direct employment from FE programmes and boost the number of people joining construction. The project also seeks commitments from employers in the homebuilding sector to recruit from partnered colleges, embedding a new support process for colleges, individuals and employers.

Onsite Multi-Skilled Hubs

These onsite hubs will offer training in critical areas such as brickwork, carpentry, roofing and groundworks. They cater to new entrants via bootcamps, trainee-style provision and apprenticeships. The hubs also cover additional training elements that will emerge as part of net zero ambitions, modern methods of construction (MMC), and the Future Homes Standard. They will be delivered in partnership with the National House Building Council (NHBC).

Brickwork and Roofing Masterclasses

As of September 2024, over 2,000 bricklayers and roofers have benefitted from this training. The 90-minute upskilling sessions provide your workforce with specialised skills to reduce defects in new housebuilding. The programme delivers practical skills and knowledge on common brickwork issues, helping to improve overall quality and standards of work onsite. The masterclasses are delivered in partnership with HBF and NHBC.

• For more information visit Brickwork Masterclass - NHBC

Brickwork Upskilling

This programme upskills bricklayers, bricklaying tutors and brickwork students through the delivery of 16 short duration courses (which are CITB grant eligible) in colleges across the UK. The topics range from traditional brickwork skills through to damp proof courses and the use of fire breaks. They are delivered in partnership with the Association of Brickwork Contractors (ABC). As of September 2024, over 400 further education learners and bricklayers already working in construction have completed training.

• For more information visit: Bricklaying Short Courses - The ABC Assessment Centre

Support for Recruitment of Apprentices

Hiring and retaining new talent, particularly apprentices, can be challenging for employers. Our team of advisers work with micro, small and medium-sized businesses across Great Britain to overcome these barriers. We can help you find local training provision, access Government and CITB funding, and provide mentoring for those who are supporting trainees.

• New Entrant Support Team

Competence Frameworks

Ensuring that your workers possess the right levels of competence is vital for a successful construction business. Alongside key homebuilding stakeholders, we are reviewing and refining competence frameworks relevant to the sector. This will involve examining existing frameworks to make sure they reflect the correct level of competence needed to carry out the role, as well as agreeing appropriate frameworks for future use.

• Find out more about Competence Frameworks, or sign up for a working group