The Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) has awarded £430,000 from its Industry Impact Fund to support a national skills programme designed to accelerate low-carbon timber construction.
The investment aims to strengthen digital construction skills, expand training provision for timber modern methods of construction (MMC), and create clear entry pathways for individuals beginning careers in construction. It will also help upskill and reskill the existing workforce to meet growing demand for timber-based building systems.
The initiative supports the Timber in Construction Roadmap, the Government-Industry plan launched earlier this year to increase the adoption of sustainable structural timber. The roadmap identifies specialist skills, accredited training and workforce capacity as central to scaling timber MMC and meeting the UK’s net-zero carbon built environment targets.
Funding bid
The successful funding bid was led by CITB levy-payer Donaldson Offsite, working with a consortium that includes Edinburgh Napier University, the New Model Institute for Technology and Engineering (NMITE), Built Environment – Smarter Transformation (BE-ST), the Structural Timber Association and Timber Development UK. Together, these organisations will create a coordinated programme covering digital construction processes, offsite timber manufacturing training, site-based installation, and project management for timber MMC delivery.
Vanessa Freeman, Head of Grant and Funding Projects at CITB, said the funding will enable the sector to address skills shortages and develop a more resilient workforce. She emphasised the importance of collaboration to build capacity in areas linked to carbon reduction and the delivery of modern construction methods.
New technical competencies
The growth of low-carbon timber construction has highlighted the need for new technical competencies, from digital design workflows to the management of offsite-manufactured systems. The project will begin in October 2025 and run for 24 months. Its first phase will involve analysing gaps in existing learning materials and training delivery. The findings will inform the development of accredited courses aligned with industry needs and future regulatory standards such as the Future Homes Standard and PAS 8700:2025.
Alex Goodfellow, CEO of Donaldson Offsite and Chair of the Confederation of Timber Industries, said the consortium’s work will support the UK’s ambition for sustainable housing by investing in skills development. He noted that a coordinated training model is essential to building a competent workforce capable of delivering the scale of timber construction required.
Professional frameworks
Key aims of the project include expanding the national training network through CITB-accredited centres, colleges and universities, and integrating new learning modules into existing programmes such as NMITE’s Timber Technology Engineering and Design courses and the Structural Timber Association Installer Training Scheme. The programme will also align with professional frameworks including the Chartered Institute of Building project management competency standards and Timber Development UK’s Skills Action Plan.
Professor Robert Hairstans, Chair of the Timber in Construction Skills Group, said the initiative will embed timber construction training within the national education system, enabling long-term workforce development and supporting broader adoption of digital and offsite construction methods.
By focusing on workforce capacity, standardised training and practical learning pathways, the project aims to strengthen the UK’s ability to deliver low-carbon housing and accelerate the shift towards a more sustainable construction sector. For those interested in joining the training programme, registration is open at: be-st.build/timber-in-construction-skills.
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