The infrastructure sector is vital to the UK economy, supporting housing and other construction activity. While Government investment continues across transport, water, energy, and more, delivery is at risk if there is not access to a workforce that has the right skills, competencies and capacity to deliver. This plan responds to that challenge, using industry partners and insight to identify workforce barriers and set out actions to overcome them.

Overview

CITB representative: Aled Hughes
Chair: Lorraine Gregory, Civil Engineering Contractors Association (CECA)
Investment: £2.8m

Aims and objectives:

• Reduce the skills gap for the infrastructure sector

• Develop a detailed pipeline of future skills demand

• Attract new entrants, retain and upskill the existing workforce

• Promote quality and availability of provision.

List of interventions

Infrastructure Pipeline and Taxonomy Research

Two infrastructure-specific research projects to develop a detailed pipeline of future infrastructure skills needs, using top-down analysis of the Government’s National Infrastructure and Construction Pipeline, as well as developing a skills taxonomy. The development of a skills taxonomy for the infrastructure sector will enable a common understanding of skills demand and supply. This will help to overcome differences in terminology, avoid duplication of effort and increase transferability of roles and skills.

• Workforce demand data is now available as part of NISTA’s expanded Infrastructure Pipeline

• To contribute to the research or learn more, contact research.team@citb.co.uk

Training Alliances

Training alliances (hubs) bring civil engineering employers and training providers together to identify skills needs and aggregate demand to shape local training provision. We’re piloting regional alliances to deliver critical training for plant operatives, steelfixers, groundworkers and civil engineering operatives, all within one-hour travel zones of the alliances. Two alliances are now operational in Kent and South Wales, with others to follow across England and Wales.

Employers within the highlighted areas should make use of the training available. Book training in:

• South Wales

• Kent

Upskilling Programme

The Sector Skills Advisory Group has worked to understand the infrastructure sector’s training needs and identify gaps in technical and behavioural skills. This programme aims to make targeted training more accessible to employers, helping them develop their new and existing workforce in areas including commercial and contractual management, carbon reduction and net zero, use of AI and digital skills, social value, and health and safety. Our ambition is to build a more skilled, adaptable workforce, improve business performance and support the safe, efficient and sustainable delivery of the infrastructure pipeline.

• Employers can email jemma.carmody@ceca-yorks.co.uk to book training

CECA Scotland Academy

The CECA Scotland Academy creates an entry-level pathway into the civil engineering sector, providing contextualised learning and knowledge which can then be applied and transferred into the workplace. Participating employers offer trainees interviews for available job opportunities within their companies. Designed to provide practical, hands-on training, the academy helps develop the next generation of skilled operatives and professionals.

• Find out more on the CECA Scotland Academy website

Attract New Entrants

We’ll promote the great work already happening in the infrastructure sector to attract new entrants, from Go Construct STEM Ambassadors to plant simulators, the Careers and Enterprise Company, DYW Scotland and more. We will also review these existing initiatives and explore how to engage not only young people but also NEETs, ex-military, ex-offenders, career returners and career changers.

• If you’re already involved in careers-related activity within the infrastructure sector or would like to find out more, contact Aled Hughes

Competence Frameworks

Ensuring that your workers possess the right levels of competence is vital for a successful construction business. We’re developing and maintaining Competence Frameworks for key operative roles in the civil engineering and infrastructure sector. Individual role frameworks will be created in collaboration with employer bodies and experts to ensure relevance and accuracy.

We need industry specialists to feed into the development of these frameworks.

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

Members

• Aaron Davis - Flannery Plant Hire

• Brian Carroll - National Federation of Demolition Contractors

• Callum Mackintosh - Hi-skills

• Ed Evans - Civil Engineering Contractors Association Wales

• Gail McEwen - Scottish Plant Owners Association

• Garmon Hafal - Jones Bros Civil Engineering

• Gez Bonner - L Lynch Plant Hire and Haulage

• Hannah O'Sullivan - VolkerWessels

• Huw Jones - Jones Bros Civil Engineering

• Jemma Carmody - Civil Engineering Contractors Association Yorkshire and the Humber

• Lorraine Gregory - Civil Engineering Contractors Association Midlands

• Lyndsey Gallagher - Gallagher Group

• Mark Bowen - Andrew Scott

• Martyn Price - Concrete Repair Association

• Paul Skitt - Construction Plant-hire Association

• Robin Denton - Alpha Construction

• Sam French - TunnelSkills

• Sam Proudfoot - L Lynch Plant Hire and Haulage

• Sarah Whittle - Knights Brown

• Scott Bell - Laing O'Rourke

• Tony Murphy - Jones Bros Civil Engineering