South Thames Colleges Group is proud to be chosen after competitive tender as the CTEC Sub-Regional Lead.
The CTEC programme is one part of the government response to meet the national target to build 1.5m new homes by 2030, through increasing the construction workforce by 60,000 workers. It represents £100m of the Department for Education’s (DfE) £625m Construction Skills Package.
STCG aims to support this through five strategic objectives:
- To boost construction skills provision in direct response to local and national employer needs (that is in alignment with priorities in Skills England construction skills needs assessments and supporting delivery of LSIP priorities).
- To deliver high-quality teaching practice and curricula in construction, including continuous professional development for staff with an emphasis on site integration and employer input.
- To leverage employer engagement and investment in construction skills provision.
- To collaborate with other providers to boost construction provision and quality, both locally and nationally.
- To promote clear pathways for learners to progress into work in the construction industry or into higher level construction courses.
The journey so far;
In collaboration we have developed a robust and detailed evidence base to better understand current and future skills needs across London’s construction and built environment sector. This work is being carried out in partnership with the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB), the Greater London Authority (GLA), and the Talent Board for Construction and Built Environment, bringing together sector intelligence, labour market data, employer insight, and policy priorities.
By combining quantitative data with direct engagement from employers, providers and industry stakeholders, we can build a clear picture of where skills gaps and shortages exist, how demand is evolving, and what this means for workforce development across the capital.
This evidence will enable us to prioritise targeted improvements to existing courses and qualifications, ensuring they remain relevant, high-quality and aligned to employer needs. It will also inform the design and development of new provision in emerging or high-demand areas, helping to strengthen progression pathways and support a sustainable, future-ready workforce for London.
We have completed Phase One- a pilot to support our Construction and Built Environment tutors to upskill them with latest industry knowledge from experts in the field and also an initiative to facilitate industry placements for our learners to gain on site experience.
In Phase Two we continue to upskill our tutors and organise industry placements for our learners. In this phase there are financial incentives for employers working with us and we would love for your organisation to be a part of this! Please get in touch; LondonCTEC@stcg.ac.uk
Phase Two also convenes Construction Skills Alliances that includes key sector bodies, employers and skills providers working together to find solutions to occupational skills shortages- more on this to follow.
