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CITB NI CELEBRATES 60 YEARS PROVIDING INDUSTRY SKLLS AND TRAINING
CITB NI is celebrating its 60th anniversary. Since 1964 the organisation has been at the forefront of identifying the skills and training needs for Northern Ireland's construction industry and shaping the sector's growth and development, something which the organisation looks set to continue in the years ahead.
Currently CITB NI supports 3,600 registered construction employers by promoting and delivering training services identified by the industry. Last year alone, the organisation provided £2m in training grants to a range of NI construction companies. Alongside this CITB NI continues to showcase construction as a rewarding career option for young people and over the last 8 yrs has supported 1200 apprentices with apprenticeship grants.
Recent figures from the Construction Skills Network Labour Market Intelligence Report (2024-2028) for Northern Ireland forecast a 2.8% annual growth in construction, with an additional 5,200 workers needed by 2028 to meet industry demand. CITB NI aims to meet this need by supporting key training initiatives and encouraging the continued development of a skilled workforce capable of meeting the evolving demands of the industry. All these initiatives are designed specifically to upskill the workforce, promote diversity, and inspire the next generation of professionals to build rewarding careers in construction.
The 60th Anniversary year is also an opportunity to highlight recent successes. These include; The Mobile Training Unit facility which has trained over 2000 individuals in health and safety courses throughout 2024. The Adopt A School initiative, which establishes local partnerships between education and industry, is currently working with 50 employers and 86 schools. The recent development of the simulated construction training facility at CITB NI’s Nutts Corner site, where they have operated since 1964, offers a practical real-life training environment which will prepare individuals for the demands of the construction industry. Additionally, the Women in Construction Summit, identified by the CITB NI led women in construction network as a need to encourage more women into the industry, held its 3rd summit in 2024. Welcoming over 160 delegates the summit explored and debated a range of key industry topics including digital technologies and the impact of AI.
Building on their partnership approach, CITB NI is working with the Department for Communities Historic Environment Division, to deliver a new Heritage Project which will not only preserve, develop, and deliver heritage skills supply and training in Northern Ireland but will seek to unlock the potential of developing future jobs and employment in the construction sector. This partnership will also help raise awareness of our built heritage, the heritage skills required and promote the preservation and development of traditional crafts and skills.
A collaborative industry-driven approach is at the heart of CITB NI’s strategy for developing training and skills solutions. This entails not only exploring and supporting growth opportunities but facing ongoing emerging challenges including an ageing workforce, declining numbers of new talent entering the industry, technological advances in IT, the drive for energy efficiency and a net-zero carbon society. Over the years CITB NI has worked with industry leaders such as GRAHAM, Heron Bros and John McQuillan Contracts – to name but a few. This approach has helped to develop a collective future-focused learning strategy which concentrates on tackling these challenges, with the interests of both small and large organisations at its core.
Celebrating CITB NI’s 60th anniversary Barry Neilson OBE, Chief Executive CITB NI said,
"On behalf of the team at CITB NI we thank everyone who has been on this journey with us over the years. We are delighted to mark our 60th anniversary year – it is quite an achievement. We are proud to continue to support the development of our most valuable resource - our people. As we reflect back on our key successes, we also are all too aware of the future demands on our industry, and training and development has never been as important.
Barry added:
“Key areas for future development in 2024 and beyond include digital construction and new technologies, sustainability and Zero Carbon, Governmental direction and a review of training interventions to support the industry in the most efficient and effective way possible. Upskilling our existing workforce while developing new entrants equipped with the skills for both the known and unknown challenges ahead will be key and will play a central role of our future approach.”
For further information on CITB NI and its services visit https://www.citbni.org.uk or follow CITB NI on Facebook, X, Instagram and LinkedIn #CITBNI60
Photo Caption: Helen Vint Head of Learning & Development GRAHAM, Paul Brogan Managing Director John McQuillan Contracts, Barry Neilson OBE Chief Executive CITB NI, Noel Brady Chair of CITB NI, Rachel Dorovatas Director at CITB NI, Vincent Hinds CITB NI facilities who has had 40 years’ service with CITB NI.