This week, the Chancellor has announced plans to invest over half a billion pounds into training for construction workers, in a bid to boost capacity in the sector to meet the government’s target of building 1.5 million homes by 2029.
Nottingham College’s brand-new Construction Skills Centre has increased capacity for construction skills training in the city, with the college by far the largest provider of construction training in the East Midlands.
The £5.4m centre, which opened earlier this year, provides dedicated workshop and classroom space to hundreds of students who will become the next generation of house builders in our region. This centre will play a pivotal role in driving house building and economic growth thanks to the government’s investment in construction training announced on 22nd March 2025.
With new homes top of mind for the Mayoral Combined Authority and councils across the region, the latest announcement looks set to bring significant benefits to local people and puts FE colleges in the driving seat in tackling the housing shortage.
The government’s investment announcement includes:
- £2000 incentives for employers to take on and retain foundation apprentices.
- £100m to be earmarked for investment in 10 technical excellence colleges across the country.
- £132m of co-funded industry placements for those looking to train in the construction sector. This will be met through £100m contribution from the treasury and £32m from the CITB.
- £165m for colleges and training providers to develop new construction courses.
- £20m for improved partnerships between LSIPs and local construction employers.
- £100m for construction bootcamp delivery helping employers to address specific skills needs.
Whilst details aren’t fully available, already the college is making plans to ensure that local people and local employers can benefit from this increased investment and focus.
This week, on Wednesday, construction employers will be participating in the college’s Construction Industry Advisory Board, where employers work directly with the college to look at skills demand, the evolution of our provision and opportunities for strengthened partnership working. Maximising use of the new Construction Skills Centre and new Green Skills Centre, both at our Basford campus, will be high on the agenda.
Our Green Skills Centre provides training to existing construction workers to upskill in areas such as solar PV and air source heat pumps, likely to be integral features of the government’s training agenda.
All this means that over the coming months, Nottingham College will play a pivotal role in supporting the construction sector as it gears up to deliver the government’s 1.5 million homes mission.
Please do reach out for any and all training needs, we can talk through these new announcements and help you access the financial support and incentives available. Contact our construction employer engagement team on business@nottinghamcollege.ac.uk or call 0115 945 7260.
