CITB backs first cross-industry Infrastructure Skills Plan

The Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) has announced its support for the UK’s first cross-industry Infrastructure Sector Skills Plan – a new collaborative initiative designed to tackle the construction skills gap and support delivery of major national projects.

Developed by the Civil Engineering Contractors Association (CECA) and wider industry partners, with support from CITB, the plan sets out a roadmap to attract new entrants, upskill the existing workforce, and ensure the infrastructure sector can meet future demand.

CITB has committed £2.8 million to the plan, which will fund training for vital site roles including plant operatives, steelfixers, groundworkers, formworkers, and civil engineering operatives. The plan aligns with the Construction Skills Missions Board’s objectives and forms part of CITB’s wider programme of sector-specific skills plans.

According to CITB’s latest Construction Workforce Outlook, infrastructure output is forecast to grow by 4.2% between 2025 and 2029, creating demand for an additional 1,470 civil engineers each year.

Key interventions include new infrastructure training alliances (hubs) across England and Wales, with the first approved in Kent, bringing employers and training providers together to shape local provision. Other measures include industry-wide taxonomy research, promotion through Go Construct, and the creation of competence frameworks for core operative roles.

Mark Crosby, head of strategic engagement at CITB, said: “Working collaboratively with the many sectors within the construction industry is the only way to ensure that each sector’s skills needs are understood and addressed properly. Sector Skills Plans are live programmes of activity that will continuously evolve to meet the changing skills, training, and recruitment needs of each sector.”

Lorraine Gregory, director of CECA Midlands, added: “The Infrastructure Sector Skills Plan represents a vital step forward in tackling the skills challenges our industry faces. It will help ensure the right people are in the right places to deliver the substantial pipeline of work that exists in the years ahead.”

The launch follows CITB’s 2023 Homebuilding Sector Skills Plan and precedes further plans covering the repair, maintenance and improvement (RMI) and commercial, industrial and high-rise residential sectors. Together, these initiatives form part of a long-term effort to strengthen construction’s workforce capability across the UK.