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North West

Local successes

Transforming Manchester Town Hall

CITB is supporting Manchester City Council and Lend Lease on the transformation of Manchester Town Hall

The Our Town Hall project will see the Grade I-listed building repaired, refurbished and partially restored to safeguard it for current and future generations and improve public access, reopening to the public in 2024.

One of the key objectives of the Our Town Hall project is to deliver 'social value' by leaving a legacy in skills, experience and inspiration for those considering careers in construction.

The project includes more than 150 apprenticeships and 45 new jobs targeted at Manchester residents, plus a range of activities with schools and colleges, including work placements.

Find details of local industry events, support, networks and contact information

CITB Advisers can support and guide you in terms of accessing CITB training, grants, funding and apprenticeships. In addition, they can signpost you to other sources of support, help and advice, including local partners and networks, for example LEPs, Growth Hubs and local initiatives.

Please find their contact information in the location links below

Contact your CITB customer engagement adviser

David Rowlands
Tel: 07887 984 897
Email:  
Twitter: @DaveRcitb
LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/feed/

I work with local employers and stakeholders to ensure that they are aware of the range of grants and funding to support skills needs in the construction industry.

Business services support

Your LEP

Cheshire and Warrington Growth Hub
The Growth Hub provides access to impartial support and advice for people starting, running and growing businesses.

Phone: 03300 245007 
E-mail:  
web: https://candwgrowthhub.co.uk 

Help to recruit and train staff

The Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund:

Supported by the European Regional Development Fund, NPIF provides commercially focussed finance through Microfinance, Debt and Equity Finance funds.

NPIF is a collaboration between the British Business Bank and ten Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs) in the North West, Yorkshire, the Humber and Tees Valley.

Phone: 03300 245007 
E-mail:  
web: https://candwgrowthhub.co.uk 

Business Growth Programme:

It can help your business access fully funded support (in the form of one-to-one meetings, workshops, seminars, masterclasses and more) across a wide range of areas including:

  • Finance
  • Recruitment
  • Leadership and management
  • Sales & Marketing
  • Health & Safety
  • Skills development
  • Product development
  • Process improvement
  • Expansion and innovation
  • Networking events

Phone: 03300 245007 
E-mail:  
web: https://candwgrowthhub.co.uk 

Training groups

There are four training groups in your area: 

  • North West Contractors Training Group
  • Liverpool Region Training Group
  • North West Independent Roof Training Group
  • Stoke and Staffordshire Training Group

Find out more about CITB training groups by region

Training projects already funded by CITB

Onsite Experience Hubs

Onsite Experience hubs are designed to provide a one-stop recruitment solution for construction employers. By linking together employers, training providers, local authorities, LEPs, community agencies and other partners, hubs enable the development of employment and site-ready people from local communities. These well-suited candidates can then be linked to employers’ vacancies, and because they have gained some initial experience on construction sites, often with the recruiting employer, and have the necessary introductory training and health & safety credentials, they can be productive immediately.

Onsite Experience Hub – Procure Plus
Contact – Wiktor Morrell
07393 792497 or 0303 030 0030
wiktor.morrell@procure-plus.com

Contact your CITB customer engagement adviser

Monica Costelloe
Tel: 07768 208850
Email:    
Twitter @GoConstructGirl
LinkedIn – Monica Costelloe CITB Adviser 

I have worked for CITB for 7 years, firstly as an Apprenticeship Officer, then as adviser in Leeds City Region, moving over to Cumbria in May 2019. Before that, I worked at Lakes College in Cumbria as a Business Development Manager.

Business services support

Your LEP

The Business Hub: https://www.thecumbrialep.co.uk/business-support/

Lynsey Parke, Business Growth Manager
07867 152 617/ 0800 069 6444
lynsey.parke@thecumbrialep.co.uk

Free and impartial business support

Cumbria Chamber of Commerce Growth Hub:
https://cumbriagrowthhub.co.uk
info@cumbriagrowthhub.co.uk

Furness Economic Development Forum: 
http://fedf.co.uk

Training groups

Contact your CITB customer engagement advisers

Greater Manchester - North

Jane Crompton Payne
Tel: 07920 070612
Email:

Jane has worked for CITB for 9 years previously as an Apprenticeships Officer and then joined the Engagement Advisers team in February 2021.  Her role is to work with local employers and stakeholders to ensure they are aware of the range of grants and funding to support the skills needs of the construction industry.

Greater Manchester - South

James Johnson
Tel: 07909 688048
Email: 
Twitter: @JamesJcitb
LinkedIn: James Johnson CITB Adviser

James has worked for CITB for 13 years mainly as an Apprenticeship Officer but most recently as an adviser.

He started my career as a Joinery apprentice working on various projects in the North West. He then trained to become an Assessor, then moving into FE colleges and finally looking after construction apprentices for CITB.

Rochdale and Bury

James Tilbrook
Tel: 07789 746421
Email:

Business services support

GC Business Growth Hub

A community of specialists with a passion to help businesses across Greater Manchester to realise their ambitions.

They support businesses at all stages of their growth journey with our broad range of services. They offer expert one-to-one and peer-to-peer business support, events, specialist programmes, funding and much more.

Better still, most of their support is fully funded and is provided at no direct cost to your business.

To contact the GC Business Growth Hub:

Call 0161 359 3050
Visit www.businessgrowthhub.com
Email 
Twitter @BizGrowthHub
LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/gcbusinessgrowthhub/

Help to recruit and train staff

#SEEDIFFERENT SME Apprenticeship Support

Greater Manchester #SEEDIFFERENT SME Apprenticeship Support offers grants to non-levy paying employers to recruit and deliver high quality Apprenticeships, workforce planning support and advice and is developing a Levy Transfer Matchmaking Service!

The Greater Manchester Combined Authority have launched the #SEEDIFFERENT SME Apprenticeship Support Grants for SMEs in Greater Manchester, those organisations who have a wage bill less than £3million.

The £3000 grant may be offered to SMEs who:

  • are non-levy payers
  • have their registered office based in Greater Manchester
  • have not employed an apprentice for at least 2 years.

Contact: http://www.theapprenticeshiphub.co.uk/sme-apprenticeship-support/

 

Training Groups

Contact your local customer engagement adviser

Linda Richardson
Tel: 07901 515723
Email: Linda.richardson@citb.co.uk
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/linda-richardson-2609bb275

Linda is the Customer Engagement Advisor, working with local employers and stakeholders advising on the range of grants and funding available supporting the skills needs of the Construction Industry.

East Lancashire

James Tilbrook
Tel: 07789 746421
Email:

Business services support

Boost is Lancashire’s Business Growth Hub. Its purpose is to help Lancashire’s businesses grow. Through Boost, Lancashire businesses from start-ups to large companies can get access to a number of funded programmes in areas such as mentoring, scaling up, innovation, international trade, leadership development, and accessing finance. Boost can also help businesses navigate the plethora of national business support programmes to find the support they need.

You can contact Boost Lancashire by:

Tel: 0800 488 0057
Email:  

Help to recruit and train staff

Lancashire Skills Hub

The Lancashire Skills Hub can provide details of current and future programmes of support to help Lancashire businesses improve workforce skills, create new jobs, tap into sources of skilled workers and get involved in improving skills in your industry.

Training groups

Training projects already funded by CITB

Onsite Experience Hubs

Onsite Experience hubs are designed to provide a one-stop recruitment solution for construction employers. By linking together employers, training providers, local authorities, LEPs, community agencies and other partners, hubs enable the development of employment and site-ready people from local communities. These well-suited candidates can then be linked to employers’ vacancies, and because they have gained some initial experience on construction sites, often with the recruiting employer, and have the necessary introductory training and health & safety credentials, they can be productive immediately.

Onsite Experience Hub – Procure Plus
Contact - Jo Pepper
07891 550763 or 0303 030 0030
jo.pepper@procure-plus.com

Contact your CITB customer engagement advisers

Tony Billington
Tel: 07776 163152
Email: tony.billington@citb.co.uk
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/tonybillington

I am the customer engagement adviser for Liverpool and work with local employers and stakeholders by supporting them to access the grants and funding available to train and up-skill their workforce.

Business services support

The Business Growth Programme is a Liverpool City Region business support project. It is designed to build confidence and capacity in local SMEs by providing direct advice, guidance and information to provide a clear route to growth and sustainability.

Dedicated face-to-face interaction coupled with a range of complementary support, will help businesses to begin the journey to growth.

What support is available?

We offer fully-funded dedicated face to face guidance to help you develop your business. Our advice is impartial, confidential and tailored to meet your needs, in areas such as:

  • Business Development
  • Financial Planning
  • Human Resources
  • International Trade
  • Operational Review
  • Sales & Marketing.

Eligibility for support

If your business is based in the Liverpool City Region, trading already and employs less than 250 people, you could access this free support which includes a full business diagnostic and action plan. The Business Growth Programme is not sector specific and is open to supporting SMEs in the city region who has previously been reluctant seek business support.

To access Business Growth Programme support

For more information on how to access business support, please contact your local team:

Halton

Knowsley

Liverpool City Council

Liverpool Chambers of Commerce

Sefton

St Helens

Wirral

This programme is partially funded by the European Regional Development Fund and is delivered by Liverpool City Region Local Authorities and Chambers of Commerce through the LCRIBS (Liverpool City Region Integrated Business Support) programme.

Help to recruit and train staff

The Knowsley Apprentice - Benefits to Business

Have you thought about employing an apprentice and the benefits they can bring to your business?

The Knowsley Apprentice has £3,000 funding available (per apprentice) and full recruitment support to help you find the right apprentice for your company.

If you would like to find out more

This does not affect any CITB Apprenticeship Grant which may be payable.

Training groups

You may also be interested in...

Find out how local employers can benefit from taking on an apprentice for a short duration in our Shared Apprenticeship Scheme

Find out more about the National Skills Academy for Construction, led by CITB and approved by industry