CITB recently welcomed a delegation of senior representatives of the Swedish construction industry and education sector to its National Construction College (NCC) in Inchinnan, Scotland. The visit was arranged to share insights into how the Swedish construction industry can learn from the Scottish industry to deliver apprenticeships in rural areas.
Skills Development Scotland (SDS) supported the Scottish Government with hosting the delegation of local officials, politicians, employer groups, trade unions, and education providers from a rural area in the north of Sweden, all who work in apprenticeships and qualifications.
The delegation were able to learn about how apprenticeships are delivered in rural areas in Scotland, and in particular operational issues such as how to deliver plumbing and roofing apprenticeships in rural areas, how to utilise online technologies to support teaching, and how best to deliver in a widespread rural area, with the goal that they can utilise the knowledge for themselves. The delegation was accompanied by officials from the Scottish Government and SDS.
NCC is CITB’s direct training centre and delivers construction training and apprenticeships tailored to the needs of the construction industry, helping to develop the skills of the workforce needed across the country.
NCC Scotland has been delivering construction training for over 55 years and is a nationally significant Scottish skills asset. It offers over 140 courses, from one-day health and safety training through to longer-term apprenticeships, to support employers with their current and future training needs.
In the last year alone, NCC Inchinnan recruited 310 new apprentices and expects to recruit approximately 290 new starts this year. Without NCC Scotland, many Scottish employers would have no domestic training route for several specialist occupations, such as plant mechanics, floorcovering, and roofing and cladding.
According to the Construction Workforce Outlook (CWO), CITB’s annual forecast of the construction sector’s workforce and skills requirements, Scotland needs an average of 2,590 extra workers per year between 2026-2030.
Ian Hughes, Engagement Director for Scotland, CITB, said: "It was a pleasure to welcome the Swedish delegation to our National Construction College in Inchinnan and show them how we are working with industry partners to develop the next generation of the construction workforce.
“It was a great opportunity for us to showcase how NCC supports learners from across the country, including through initiatives like CITB’s Travel to Train Grant, which helps apprentices overcome barriers to accessing specialist training regardless of where they live.
“We hope the visit proved valuable and provided insights into how targeting skills investment and collaboration can help support construction employers and learners in rural areas.”
Frank Quinn, Head of Standards and Frameworks at SDS, said: “At a time of significant growth in Scotland’s construction sector, this visit was a valuable opportunity to show our Swedish counterparts how Scotland’s skills system is working together to meet industry demand.
“Scotland and Sweden face many of the same challenges and opportunities. By sharing practical examples, we can strengthen how we attract and develop the next generation of talent, particularly in rural communities.”
Anders Lundström, Administrative Project Manager – Apprentice of the Future, Adult Education, was part of the Swedish delegation. He said: “We were very impressed by the strong connection between training and real working environments. It was inspiring to see how practical skills, industry needs and education are brought together.
“Although Sweden and the UK have different education systems, we share many of the same challenges, and there is a great deal we can learn from each other.”
