The Plan presents a new era for the construction industry by addressing the immediate needs of employers whilst supporting a long-term strategic plan.

The 2023 Industry Consultation highlighted three key areas for CITB support – getting more trained people into the industry, the provision of high-quality training, and supporting the ongoing skills development of the existing workforce.

Construction’s ‘people pipeline’ is critical to future growth for the industry and CITB’s plan invests in the need to attract and retain talented individuals.

The successful launch of the New Entrant Support Team (NEST) in 2023-24 will be further expanded to contribute to the 15% increase in the number of new entrants joining the industry.

NEST helps employers to better navigate the recruitment process, and access grants and suitable training, when and where they need it.

In addition, CITB’s new Industry Impact Fund will be further expanded, making direct funding available to employers to design and test new solutions for talent recruitment and retention challenges.

CITB will also focus on developing new Competence Frameworks which will be used to develop qualifications that will support individuals throughout their training to make sure they have the right knowledge, skills, and behaviours to demonstrate safety and expertise in their chosen occupation.

By 2025, CITB aims to increase the number of employers supported to train and upskill their workforce by 14% and increase the number of individuals supported by 13%.

The Plan sets out how CITB will invest £30m in the National Construction College (NCC) to support its ambition for the college to become a beacon provider of construction skills training.

The money will be invested in the three sites’ buildings, infrastructure, and plants, with sustainability at the forefront of these changes.