The 2026 ECITB National Forum today detailed plans for the year ahead as the industry-led skills body begins to deliver its new, five-year Leading Industry Learning strategy.
More than 200 people from engineering construction industry (ECI) employers, training providers and other stakeholders attended the Engineering Construction Industry Training Board’s (ECITB) annual, virtual event, which also shared performance highlights of 2025.
In her opening remarks, Lynda Armstrong OBE, Chair of the ECITB, thanked industry for its support in 2025 in helping produce our new strategy and for its vote of confidence during the levy consensus process.
She also shared how the ECITB has been working closely with government, following a year in which our sponsor department changed to the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP).
“During 2025 we secured greater engagement with the UK and devolved governments and continue to forge greater political engagement.
“For example, we gave evidence at two select committees and our labour market intelligence is being used as a key data source in live debates, committee reports and key national policy documents.
“We are working directly with NISTA to support analysis of the UK Infrastructure Pipeline, delivered the wind cross-skill pilot in partnership with Scottish Government and we sit on the Government’s Construction Skills Mission Board.
“This all raises the profile and understanding of the importance of the ECI within the corridors of power.”
Lynda Armstrong OBE
Chair of the ECITB
ECITB National Forum details 2025 performance highlights
ECITB Chief Executive Andrew Hockey provided the online event with a series of performance highlights from 2025, which marked the final year of our 2023-25 strategy.
Looking back over the three-year cycle, Andrew said: “During this time, we have supported over 6,500 new entrants into the engineering construction workforce, invested £103.6 million in training and committed £3 million into regional skills hubs.”
Highlights from 2025 included:
- 85% of employers, representing 98% of levy income, supporting levy rates.
- 300 employer delegates giving resoundingly positive feedback during the 2026-2030 strategy consultation sessions.
- £32.6m invested in training grants and new entrant programmes, with 90% of in-scope levy payers receiving grants.
- 13% growth in technical training, with 71,833 learners using ECITB‑approved products, including 28,348 CCNSG Safety Passport
- 8% of in-scope employers covered as part of the 2024 Workforce Census, published last year.
- 59,000 online course completions from 28,503 unique users (up 23.1%) on our Learning Experience Platform (LXP).
- 21,415 delegates trained in 23 countries via ECITB Global, a 37% increase from 2024.
Priorities for 2026
Andrew also highlighted how the ECITB successfully published its 2026–2030 strategy, moving to a five‑year cycle and setting out a bold programme of interventions to tackle future skills challenges.
Matt Knights, Director of Regional Operations, outlined how we will be turning this strategic intent into action within the 2026 Business Plan.
The plan reflects our commitment to setting annual plans that allow us to remain agile, while maintaining strong alignment to the long-term goals of our five-year strategy.
Matt (pictured, above) added: “We reinforced our commitment to regional approaches in our final strategy. This is based on feedback that data-driven measures, with place-based skills planning and delivery by local training providers was the correct approach.”
Among the detailed priorities for 2026 outlined by Matt, the ECITB will:
- Introduce digital certification to support trusted, portable recognition of skills.
- Strengthen sector workforce intelligence, providing demand insights through web vacancy scraping activity.
- Grow cross-skilling programmes to support the transition of at-risk workers into other sectors.
- Establish a SkillsBuilder function on our LXP to enable employers to track employee skills.
- Publish a Higher Education Strategic Engagement Plan to bolster the alignment of degree provision with industry needs.
- Implement review-led improvements to new entrant programmes, including expanding the Work Ready programme into new settings such as prisons.
- Develop a refreshed Career Progression Route Map to help individuals understand and navigate ECI career paths.
- Deliver pilot initiatives to increase trainer and assessor capacity.
- Deliver recommendations of the Regional Skills Hub Working Group to deliver sustainable and strategic investment in key hotspot areas.
- Deliver a key ED&I or attraction initiative in each ECITB region.
- Strengthen skills system collaboration through coordinated partnerships, such as with the CITB on our joint delivery plan.
The Forum ended by hearing an update on the evolution of the Assuring Competence in Engineering scheme (ACE Card) from Chris Mann, Director of Learning and Assurance.
Adrian Wookey, Head of New Entrants, Training Pathways and Further Education Strategy, then ran through the latest on apprenticeships, as well as the ECITB Scholarship and Work Ready new entrant programmes.
The event concluded with a Q&A with all speakers (pictured, main).
Read the event slides and watch back the full National Forum
Find out more about the priorities in the ECITB’s 2026 Business Plan
