Apprentice Hub Planning Approved

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The National House Building Council’s Litchfield £100 million multi-skill training hub for apprentices has gained planning approval. It is designed to shake up house-building training and tackle the construction skills shortage head-on.

It will become part of a planned national network of multi-skill training facilities spearheaded by the NHBC. Lichfield is the first to receive planning permission.

The NHBC is a new home warranty and insurance provider. The new training hub will be funded in partnership with the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB), with land provided by Redrow Homes.

Twelve planned with more to follow

The new facility at The Lakes Development, Curborough, is one of 12 hubs planned which will require a £100m investment. The network will be capable of supporting 3,000 apprentices a year.

The CITB is investing £40 million alongside the NHBC’s investment but with a goal to establish up to 32 hubs by 2027 to support the government’s homebuilding target of 1.5 million new homes.

The first hub is set to open as early as later this year. It will be the size of two-thirds of a football pitch and costs £1 million. It will provide skilled, site-ready tradespeople faster, giving housebuilding a significant boost locally.

Initially, the NHBC multi-skill training hub will focus on essential trades such as bricklaying, groundwork and site carpentry. The facility is designed to stay flexible, ready to adapt to local housing needs and regulatory requirements, ensuring a flow of qualified tradespeople able to build high quality homes. 

Delivering homes

Roger Morton, the director of business change at NHBC, says: “We’re not just training apprentices, we’re shaping the future of UK house building. The hubs will revolutionise house-building training, tackle the skills shortage head-on and make a real difference to the future of the industry. Our mission is to make sure every apprentice meets NHBC’s standards, driving quality and delivering the homes the UK urgently needs, when and where they’re needed.”

Picture: An NHBC training hub.

www.nhbc.co.uk

Article written by Cathryn Ellis
26th February 2025

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