NHBC opens Cambridgeshire training hub to tackle skills shortage

By Danny BallPublished On: October 21st, 2026Categories: News, Top Stories

A new construction training hub has opened in Northstowe, Cambridgeshire, as the National House Building Council (NHBC) expands its £100 million programme to train apprentices and address skills shortages across the housebuilding industry.

Delivered in partnership with Homes England and housebuilder Keepmoat, the facility will provide practical training in groundworks, bricklaying, site carpentry and timber frame construction.

The opening was marked by Jess Chapman, a 17-year-old groundworks apprentice from Littleport, who is calling for more women to consider construction careers after falling short of the Army’s minimum weight requirement when pursuing her ambition to join the Royal Engineers.

Northstowe training hub aims to boost construction apprenticeships

Chapman completed a military preparation course before reconsidering her career options and discovering construction.

“When one door closes, another opens. I was disappointed I couldn’t join the Army, but construction was never talked about as a career at school. I hadn’t even heard of groundworks.

“Now I’m the only female apprentice in my group, but I’m not going to let that stop me building a great career in home building. I want other girls to see me doing this and think, ‘I can do that too.’

“I thought construction was just people working on building sites, but it’s so much more. There are careers on and off site, great opportunities to progress and good money too. Groundworkers and bricklayers can earn around £50,000 a year, often more.

“I’m excited to see where this industry can take me. That’s why I’m so proud to open the new NHBC Training Hub in Northstowe today. I’m getting hands-on, learning by doing, and I could qualify in around 14 to 18 months, which is half the time of more traditional training routes, so it makes it really appealing.

“My message to other women is simple, don’t underestimate yourself and don’t let anyone else underestimate you. Construction is for everyone,” Chapman said.

NHBC invests £100m in construction skills training

Covering an area around two-thirds the size of a football pitch, the hub provides training in real site conditions. It will also support traineeships, skills bootcamps, workforce upskilling, specialist masterclasses and engagement with schools.

Roger Morton, Director of Business Change at NHBC, said: “If we don’t fix the skills shortage, we won’t fix the housing shortage. The UK needs another 206,000 construction workers by 2030. Put simply, you cannot build 1.5 million new homes without the skilled people to build them. We need to skill up if we want to build up.

“That’s why NHBC is investing £100 million in 12 Training Hubs across the UK, giving up to 3,000 apprentices a year the high-quality, hands-on training they need to become skilled and site-ready.”

Morton added that more builders and subcontractors needed to employ apprentices and put their skills to work.

Homes England and Keepmoat support local construction training

Homes England, the master developer for phases two and three of Northstowe, partnered with NHBC and Keepmoat to deliver the facility.

Keepmoat Chief Executive Ian Hoad said: “Addressing the construction skills shortage is essential to delivering the homes the country needs. That starts with giving young people the opportunity to discover the range of construction careers available.”

Homes England chief regional delivery officer Alison Crofton added that the hub would help develop skills needed for housebuilding while creating opportunities for local people.

The Northstowe facility is NHBC’s second training hub, following Lichfield, Staffordshire, in 2025. A further hub at Barking Riverside, London, is due to open in early 2027.