Leaders from across Yorkshire and the Humber came together on Friday, 11th September to launch ambitious plans aimed at tackling the region’s growing construction skills shortages. Hosted by Leeds College of Building (LCB) at the Royal Armouries Museum, the event welcomed over 160 guests from across education, construction and local government. Attendees heard how the new regional Construction Technical Excellence College (CTEC) network will help build the skilled workforce the industry urgently needs. LCB was one of the first further education institutions in the country to be designated a CTEC – a specialist FE provider funded by the UK government to help address severe construction skills shortages. CTECs operate through a ‘hub and spoke’ model, with LCB acting as the regional hub for Yorkshire and the Humber. It works alongside local employers, regional authorities and other education and training providers to share expertise and resources, raise teaching standards, and widen access to high-quality construction training. Following a year of planning and collaboration, LCB and its network of 22 ‘spoke’ college partners unveiled the CTEC regional delivery plans at the event. The shared vision aims to break down barriers and target underrepresented groups to help more young people start careers in construction while supporting existing workers to develop new skills and progress in the industry. The network will focus on meeting the need for skilled workers in high-demand trades – including bricklaying, carpentry, roofing and electrical work – to support major infrastructure, housing, retrofit, and Net Zero projects across Yorkshire and the Humber.
The requirement for more skilled construction professionals is considerable. The Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) estimates the UK will need more than 41,000 additional construction workers every year – around 206,000 over five years – simply to meet baseline demands. This includes replacing an ageing workforce and addressing workers’ growing reluctance to travel long distances.
Nikki Davis, CEO & Principal of Leeds College of Building, said: “After a year in collaborative development, we were delighted to bring together our network of employers, fellow training providers, strategic authorities, national partners, and government representatives to share how the CTEC model will develop the vital construction workforce that our region urgently needs. “By working closely with other colleges and independent training providers, we can now start to fill crucial workforce skills gaps – including in green skills, digitisation, and Modern Methods of Construction (MMC) – using cutting-edge specialist curricula and high-quality teaching practices.”
Rob Holmes, Vice Principal Curriculum, Quality and Innovation and CTEC Lead at Leeds College of Building, added: “This is an exciting phase of the CTEC delivery roll-out. By working together, we will create thousands more pathways into skilled employment and drive regional economic growth. This creative collaboration supports Department for Education priorities, positions Yorkshire and the Humber at the forefront of sustainable further education, and reinforces the region’s ambition to lead the transition to a low-carbon future.”
LCB has already begun renovating a newly acquired building adjacent to the college’s North Street Campus. The 5,000 m2 site on Melbourne Street in Leeds increases the size of LCB’s estate by a third and will support the CTEC mission of training up to 40,000 more people in high-demand construction trades by 2029.
