Nation Plans

Following our Business Plan, our Nation Plans set out what activities CITB will focus on in England, Scotland and Wales to support the construction industry to have a skilled, competent and inclusive workforce, now and in the future.

And like our Business Plan, the Nation Plans focus on tackling three priority areas:

  1. Inform and enable diverse and skilled people into construction

  2. Develop a training and skills system to meet current and future needs

  3. Support the industry to train, develop and retain its workforce.

You can find more detail on these challenges by visiting our Business Plan.

Select your nation below: 

We will inform and enable diverse and skilled people into construction by:

  • Expanding NEST to support more SMEs in recruiting, engaging, and retaining new entrants. NEST will provide access to grants, training provision, and mentoring support, which includes assistance with placements, mentoring to support retention, and helping learners transition smoothly from college courses into the workplace

  • Scaling up the homebuilding support package in partnership with industry and combined authorities to streamline recruitment and training for the homebuilding sector

  • Supporting Level 2 and Level 3 learners, in line with Government priorities and industry demand, and providing an expanded range of quality apprenticeships and training programmes through the National Construction College (NCC) in Bircham Newton and Erith, focused on areas of greatest demand.

We will develop a training and skills system to meet current and future needs by:

  • Supporting the establishment of Skills England and engage to explore aligning apprenticeships and qualifications with Competence Frameworks

  • Modernising the skills system by designing additional entry pathways that complement apprenticeships and new entrants, and broaden access to the sector, including publishing qualification and training maps to support clear progression routes in priority trades such as bricklaying, carpentry and joinery

  • Continuing to establish our recently launched National Training Provider Network (TPN) to improve training quality, consistency, and access as well as support continuous professional development for trainers and assessors.

We will support the industry to train, develop and retain its workforce by:

  • Piloting and further developing a number of initiatives announced as part of the Construction Skills Mission Board including access qualifications and fast-track apprenticeships as part of the homebuilding support package

  • Launching Sector Skills Plans for key sectors including Infrastructure, Repair, Maintenance and Improvement (RMI), Commercial, Public, and Industrial and update the Homebuilding sector plan. These plans are codesigned with industry and backed by CITB funding

  • Implementing interventions to attract, retain, and upskill tutors and assessors, ensuring training capacity meets demand.

We will inform and enable diverse and skilled people into construction by:

  • Delivering Scottish apprenticeships as part of our Skills Development Scotland (SDS) contract, looking to maximise our contracted allocation of 1,426 apprentices throughout 2025-26. Also working closely with Scottish employers to promote fairness, inclusion and respect, enabling a more diverse pool of new entrants to the sector while helping to increase learner retention rates

  • Retaining the Travel to Train grant, supporting Scottish employers and learners with the cost of travel and accommodation

  • Continuing support for the CECA Scotland Academy, promoting opportunities for alternative pathways into the Scottish civils sector.

We will develop a training and skills system to meet current and future needs by:

  • Collaborating with the SDS review of apprenticeships, making sure they deliver the skills industry needs and appropriately prepare individuals for a future in construction

  • Growing the membership of our five local Employer Networks across Scotland, ensuring funding is directed at a local level to deliver on skills priorities

  • Continuing to support the Scottish Construction Accord’s Transformation Action Plan to deliver a shared vision between the industry and the public sector to create a thriving and high-performing construction sector.

We will support the industry to train, develop and retain its workforce by:

  • Supporting Scottish-based employers to deliver impactful projects addressing themes such as productivity, net zero and trainers and assessors via the Industry Impact Fund. Led by Levy-registered companies, the Fund aims to achieve scalable and sustainable interventions to increase productivity across the industry

  • Promoting the recently launched CITB Training Provider Network, providing easy to access training that is responsive to industry needs through quality assured providers

  • Testing a new Training Needs Analysis (TNA) service for small businesses via the Scotland Customer Engagement team. The service will help employers make informed decisions about the training they need and how to access relevant, applicable funding.

We will inform and enable diverse and skilled people into construction by:

  • Providing over 800 full-time learners with the opportunity to learn about how construction works in practice through our partner-delivered industry insight events, including Open Doors, See Your Site, National Apprenticeship Week and women into construction events

  • Continuing to fund and support our three Onsite Experience hubs in Wales to provide practical work experience and gateway opportunities to adults looking to gain employment in construction

  • Facilitating and supporting National Apprenticeship Week, working closely with Welsh Government, Medr, further education colleges, employers, and wider stakeholders to promote construction as a career of choice.

We will develop a training and skills system to meet current and future needs by:

  • Ensuring all National Occupational Standards, short duration standards, NVQs and apprenticeships in Wales are up to date and fit for purpose. We will engage with Medr to ensure this work is aligned, where possible, to the development of Competence Frameworks

  • Continuing to work closely with Medr, Qualification Wales, colleges, training providers, and employers, exploring potential changes to apprenticeship qualifications with the aim of improving starts, retention, and outcomes from the programme

  • Developing new Level 4 and Level 5 Apprenticeship Frameworks for civil engineering and quantity surveying.

We will support the industry to train, develop and retain its workforce by:

  • Ensuring our three Welsh Employer Networks provide over £1 million of funded-at-source training that meets the skills needs of local industry

  • Rebalancing grant and funding incentives to encourage employers to upskill their workforce to competence and develop a training register, holding detailed records of individuals’ competence achievements and training

  • Continuing to promote and deliver our new mentoring standard for employers who take on an apprentice.

Read the full plans