Funding has been awarded to 26 innovative partnerships for the creation of new 'hubs' at live construction sites.

Under the £22 million Construction Skills Fund, the hubs will help tackle skills shortages in the industry, training more than 17,000 people to be job and site-ready by March 2020

Education Secretary Damian Hinds said: "It is vital that we have a strong workforce post-Brexit. The Construction Skills Fund will ensure more people gain the skills they need to forge a successful career and help create the skilled workers we need to deliver on our housing ambitions.

"Today I'm pleased to announce the 26 winning projects that will train up thousands of workers and help tackle the skills shortages in the construction industry. To support this drive further we are transforming technical education including introducing a brand new T Level in construction, a high-quality technical qualification which will be rolled out from 2020.


"Whether building new homes or contributing to major infrastructure projects to keep our country connected, working in construction means helping to shape Britain in the months and years ahead."

Minister of State for Housing Kit Malthouse commented: "We can't build the homes our communities need without a dedicated and skilled construction workforce.

"Our Construction Skills Fund will play a crucial role in training the future labourers required to build more, better and faster homes."

The scheme is funded by the Department for Education and is being delivered by the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB).

Sarah Beale, Chief Executive of CITB, added: "The Construction Skills Fund can be a genuine game-changer for both the construction industry and the individuals being trained. We have a massive need for homegrown talent and these projects will bring thousands of new people into our sector, giving them the crucial onsite experience they need to start a career in construction. These 26 hubs will be based at some of the most innovative sites in the UK, and CITB will be working hard to make sure they deliver the skills our industry critically needs."

(CM)