Construction Skills Fund
We work with employers to identify skills gaps in their workforces. Our CSF training hubs then find and get new workers site ready to fill these specific needs.
The Construction Skills Fund (CSF) provides free training for school leavers, people who are long-term unemployed and career changers who want to join the UK’s construction industry, benefitting both employers and workers by teaching people and helping them gain employment in required and immediately available roles.
Training takes place at our CSF training hubs across England based within construction development sites, so that entrants can become employment and site-ready as quickly as possible.
Which employers use CSF?
CSF serves employers of all sizes, training workers to be site-ready with a range of specifically required skills. Employers that have recruited workers from CSF include:
For employers only: I would like to be contacted by:
CSF trainees have been directly hired in a range of job roles, including:
- Logistics operative
- Gate operative
- Labourer
- Apprentice painter & decorator
- Trainee bricklayer
- Apprentice joiner
- Apprentice quantity surveyor
- Apprentice projects admin officer
- Groundworks
- Apprentice plumber
- Plumber’s mate
- Trainee housebuilding operative
Impact since 2018
CSF hubs have continued training during the national lockdowns. Since the start of the fund, hubs have provided onsite experience to over 13,000 participants, including:
- 41% moving from other industries
- 34% BAME
- 8% female.
Our impact
- Over 13,443 learners have become employment and site ready
- By May 2020, 3,925 learners had been placed into jobs
- 83% of learners were unemployed when they joined the hubs
- Over 6,094 learners are new to construction
- 8,888 learners are from traditionally under-represented groups – including women, disabled people and ethnic minorities.
“CSF can deliver flexible training on request. Without the funding available we wouldn’t be able to offer training and progression as we currently do.”
Emma Smith, FM Conway
Find out more about some of the scheme’s most successful projects and some of the workers, trainers and employers who have benefited from this valuable scheme.
The future for CSF
Due to its overwhelming success, in June 2020 the Department for Education (DfE) announced that the CSF would be extended for another year. An additional £7.5m has been allocated to the scheme, for training completed by 31 March 2021.
By September 2021, we’re aiming to have:
- Trained another 6,000 employment and site-ready learners
- Ensured over 3,000 more jobs have been sustained.
BENEFITS FOR EMPLOYERS
CSF hubs will:
- Help you identify your skills gaps and develop labour plans for your sites
- Find and recruit workers who want a career in construction
- Provide invaluable onsite experience to trainees, making them ready for the workplace
- Fund and provide bespoke training programmes to create workers who can meet your skills needs
- Assist with workers’ transition into placements and employment with you.
BENEFITS FOR WORKERS
CSF hubs will:
- Connect you to jobs available in the construction sector
- Provide real experience of what it’s like to work on a construction site
- Train you and teach new skills for a specific job role
- Help you to gain the qualifications you need to work onsite
- Support you in interview techniques and progressing your career once you are in work.
How do I take part?
Are you looking to fill gaps in your workforce? Or you are hoping to join the construction industry?
Contact your local hub to talk to a support officer who can advise on next steps, whether you’re an employer or someone looking for work.
Hubs are located in the following areas:
London and South East
|
Project name |
Lead Partner |
Coverage |
Contact Details for Hub |
|
Barking Riverside |
London Borough of Barking & Dagenham (LBBD) |
East London |
Email: construction@lbbd.gov.uk |
|
Battersea Power Station |
Wandsworth Borough Council |
London (Wandsworth and surrounding boroughs) |
|
|
Construction Skills Centre |
Camden Borough Council |
London (King's Cross, Camden, Euston) |
Email: andrew.connor@camden.gov.uk |
|
Southwark Construction Skills Centre |
The Skills Centre |
South London |
Email: info@theskillscentre.co.uk |
|
TFL (Earls Court, Brixton, Olympic Park) |
TFL |
London |
North of England
|
Project Name |
Lead Partner |
Coverage |
Contact Details for Hub |
|
Building Blocks |
Sheffield City Council |
Sheffield |
|
|
Construction Skills Village |
Northern Regeneration |
Scarborough, N.Yorks, Barnsley & S.Yorks |
|
|
Growth Company |
Greater Manchester |
Email: employment-info@growthco.uk |
|
|
Procure Plus |
|
Manchester/Liverpool
|
Email: csf@procure-plus.com |
South West
|
Project Name |
Lead Partner |
Coverage |
Contact Details for Hub |
| CSF HCC |
Hampshire County Council |
South/South West England |
Email: csf@hants.gov.uk |
Essex
|
Project Name |
Lead Partner |
Coverage |
Contact Details for Hub |
|
Southend Borough Council CSF |
Southend-on-Sea Borough Council |
Essex |
Midlands
|
Project Name |
Lead Partner |
Coverage |
Contact Details for Hub |
|
EKFB |
Eiffage Kier |
West Midlands / HS2 Central Corridor |
Email: Michael.Sedgwick@ekfb.com |
|
Northampton CSF |
Northampton City Council |
Northampton/Wellingborough Prison |
|
|
Marches Construction Project |
Landau
|
Telford |