ECITB funding to support skills for decarbonation projects 

Training provider Catch has been awarded £300,000 to help upgrade its existing welding, pipefitting and electrical training facilities in Stallingborough, near Grimsby. 

The funding is part of the Engineering Construction Industry Training Board’s (ECITB) £1m investment in Regional Skills Hubs.

The upgrade – the result of a joint venture with industry to increase learning capacity at the training centre by 100% over the next two years – will also feed into the broader Humber Skills Plan to increase training output by 1,000% by 2029.

The ECITB’s investment in Regional Skills Hubs is designed to boost training provider capacity and grow new entrant numbers in the ‘industrial cluster’ hot spots and other major engineering construction industry centres of activity, which will be at the heart of the UK’s decarbonisation agenda.

ECITB chief executive Andrew Hockey said: “The ECITB is delighted to support Catch as it continues to develop a pipeline of trained, skilled workers for major engineering construction projects in the Humber region.

“We know from the Labour Forecasting Tool, launched in December, that the labour demand gap for new workers in the engineering construction industry will get wider with an estimated shortfall of 40,000 workers by 2028. 

“The Regional Skills Hub grant is targeted specifically on capacity-building projects in the UK’s industrial heartlands that will directly increase the flow of workers into the industry.  

“The proposal clearly highlighted the project participants’ commitment, externally leveraged funding and clear outputs and delivery milestones. 

“Our investment will support the training of more skilled workers to help decarbonisation projects, such as the Viking CCS projects in this area.” 

David Talbot, chief executive at Catch, added: “[The ECITB funding] secures the transformation of our training facilities in Stallingborough, as we move towards our goal of increasing our learning capacity by 100% this year as part of scaling up the number of new entrants to industry to create the workforce that is required for our region to build net zero infrastructure. 

“As we embark on this exciting journey, we are extremely grateful for the support of our industry partners and the ECITB, aligning with our vision to provide a pipeline of skilled workers for the Humber region’s engineering construction projects.”

The ECITB is keen to work with more clients, contractors and training providers across the six major industrial cluster regions – the Black Country, East Coast (comprising Teesside and Humber), north west England, Scotland, South Wales and the Solent – to invest in growing the number of skilled workers needed for other major decarbonisation projects.

Funding of between £50,000 and £500,000 will be awarded to eligible projects that meet set criteria, including the need to match ECITB grant funding with investment from industry partners.

To find out more, please contact Andy Brown, ECITB chief operating officer (andy.brown@ecitb.org.uk) or David Nash, director of strategy and policy (david.nash@ecitb.org.uk).