£100m construction skills funding to expand college training capacity
Colleges across England are set to expand construction skills and training capacity following confirmation that more than £100m of a wider £283m skills investment will be directed towards construction courses.
The funding will be allocated to metro mayors and local leaders to help address growing waiting lists for construction courses and support the government’s target of training 60,000 additional construction workers. The programme is intended to underpin the delivery of 1.5 million new homes by the end of the current Parliament.
Local leaders will have discretion over how the remaining funding is used to increase post-16 education capacity more broadly, ahead of an expected 67,000 additional 16- and 17-year-olds entering post-16 education by 2028.
Construction colleges face capacity pressures
The funding announcement follows evidence of capacity constraints across further education. A recent survey by the Association of Colleges found that nearly one in three colleges had been forced to limit or close construction apprenticeship courses due to shortages of staff or space, a higher proportion than in any other subject area.
The investment is intended to ease those pressures by expanding facilities, increasing teaching capacity and enabling more learners to access construction-related training pathways.
Technical Excellence Colleges expand construction training
Alongside the funding announcement, applications have opened for colleges to become Technical Excellence Colleges (TECs) in priority Industrial Strategy sectors including advanced manufacturing, clean energy, defence, digital and technologies.
These new TECs will sit alongside the 10 construction TECs already launched, which are expected to train up to 40,000 construction learners by 2029. In total, 19 TECs are planned across priority sectors, as set out in the government’s Post-16 Education and Skills White Paper.
The TEC model is designed to provide sector-focused training aligned with employer demand and regional economic priorities.
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Minister highlights link between skills and housing delivery
Skills Minister Jacqui Smith said construction and technical skills were central to economic growth and housing delivery.
“Learning a trade opens doors to a brilliant career and a secure future, and trade workers are crucial to our mission to turbocharge economic growth.
“We’re making sure every young person who wants to become a builder, engineer or technician can get that opportunity.
“Our plan for national renewal gives young people the skills they need to get on in life while delivering the homes and infrastructure our country desperately needs.”
Capital funding for equipment and apprenticeships
T Level providers will also receive £8.8m in capital funding to invest in specialist, industry-standard equipment for high-priority subject areas, supporting construction and engineering training that reflects modern site practices.
The construction skills funding sits alongside a previously announced £1.5bn investment to provide learning or employment opportunities for almost one million young people and create 50,000 additional apprenticeships over the next three years.
Wider reforms to post-16 education
The Post-16 Education and Skills White Paper sets out wider reforms to further education, including structured professional development for FE teachers and a requirement for colleges to deliver at least 100 hours of face-to-face English and maths teaching for students without GCSE passes in those subjects.
It also includes plans to introduce V Levels, a new vocational pathway alongside A levels and T Levels, allowing students to explore sectors such as construction, engineering and digital while keeping progression options open.
