CITB announces support for Infrastructure Sector Skills Plan

​​​​​​​It will be the first cross-industry plan, developed in collaboration with the sector, to address specific needs for infrastructure construction skills

The Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) has announced its support for the Infrastructure Sector Skills Plan, a new action plan designed to address specific needs for infrastructure construction skills.

This plan will help tackle the UK’s infrastructure skills gap and support the delivery of major national projects.

This is the first cross-industry plan of its kind, owned by industry and shaped by sector federations, employers, and industry partners.

It sets out a clear roadmap to attract new talent, upskill the existing workforce, and ensure the sector is equipped to meet future demand. The plan also supports delivering the Construction Skills Mission Board’s objectives.

The plan addresses several key challenges, including attracting new entrants into the sector and improving the quality and availability of training.

CITB is investing £2.8 million in the plan, which will support training for essential roles such as plant operatives, steelfixers, groundworkers, formworkers, and civil engineering operatives.

According to CITB’s latest Construction Workforce Outlook, the infrastructure sector is forecast to grow by 4.2% between 2025 and 2029.

 This will require a significant increase in the number of new entrants into the sector, combined with efforts to increase the retention of those already within the sector.

To meet this demand, the plan outlines a series of targeted interventions, created by the Infrastructure Sector Skills Advisory Group (SSAG) – a panel of industry experts who will guide the plan’s implementation. Some of the approved interventions so far include:

• Infrastructure pipeline and taxonomy research projects to help overcome differences in terminology, avoid duplication of effort and increase transferability of roles and skills across Great Britain
• Training alliances (hubs), with the first being approved in Kent, will bring employers across the infrastructure sector and training providers together to identify skills needs and aggregate demand to shape local training provision
• Promoting the infrastructure sector to attract new entrants through Go Construct
• Developing and maintaining Competence Frameworks for key operative roles in the infrastructure sector, collaborating with employer bodies and industry experts to ensure relevance and accuracy.

The launch is pivotal and will help ensure that the UK Government and devolved nations can deliver on a mission for economic stability, new homes and clean energy. The UK Government has green-lit the most significant number of major infrastructure projects in the first year of a Parliament in history, with 21 major infrastructure planning decisions made in the Government’s first year – including new wind farms, roads and airport expansions.