• Swindon & Wiltshire Education, training and skills
• Tuesday October 13 2026

£11.5m funding boost for construction skills and youth training

Around £11.5 million will be invested in technical training over the next three years to address the region’s construction skills shortage.

The Mayor’s Construction Skills Fund from the West of England Combined Authority will expand college places, put students on live building sites and bring trade professionals into classrooms as the region seeks to deliver more than 7,500 new homes a year.

The investment, secured from government, comes as the national construction workforce has fallen by around 10 per cent since the pandemic. City & Guilds research shows two-thirds of firms nationally are struggling to recruit skilled workers, particularly bricklayers, carpenters, electricians and plumbers.

The largest share, £9.7 million, will go to Bath College, St Brendan’s College and City of Bristol College to expand teaching space and modernise facilities between this academic year and August 2029.

The upgrades are expected to create capacity for an extra 4,500 students, with almost half expected to take construction courses. The funding anticipates a surge in learner numbers over the period.

A further £1.5 million will fund Teacher Industry Exchanges and Student Industry Placements. College teachers will spend time on active construction sites to learn about modern building methods, while qualified trade professionals will deliver masterclasses and practical training to students.

Around 1,100 construction learners will benefit from industry placements lasting at least three weeks. The scheme is designed to give students direct experience on live sites and improve their chances of moving into work.

A £45,000 Boosting Skills Pathways project, delivered with Bristol City Council, SGS College, Weston College and Bath College, will support more young people into construction apprenticeships.

Adults out of work or seeking to upskill will also benefit, with £248,000 awarded to City of Bristol College for 48 places on adult skills courses in the new academic year.

Helen Godwin, Mayor of the West of England, said employers increasingly wanted people with practical skills and workplace experience, not just qualifications.

She said: “This ‘experience trap’ can be a barrier for young people to break into work. We need to break that cycle by giving people more opportunities to develop the practical skills, hands-on experience, and industry connections that employers are looking for.

“That’s why we’re investing more than £11.5 million to expand training, particularly in construction, and bring colleges and industry closer together.

“The West of England will build the homes our communities need and grow our regional economy. By investing in training, industry placements and apprenticeships, we’re opening doors to rewarding careers, tackling skills shortages and building the skilled workforce that will drive our region’s continued growth.”

The announcement follows national attention on technical education and work placements as tools to reduce youth unemployment and the number of young people not in education, employment or training.

Image by This Is Engineering via Pexels