Construction Skills People

What Construction Skills People does

Construction Skills People (CSP) is the UK construction sector's largest vocational training provider, founded in 2008 and operating as the primary training division of Skills People Group. The company delivers National Vocational Qualifications (NVQs) at Levels 2 through 7 alongside accredited courses covering CSCS and CPCS card pathways, plant operations, site safety (SMSTS/SSSTS), working at height, electrical trades, and lifting operations. Its core technology stack centres on the OneFile e-portfolio system for learner assessment tracking and evidence capture, with assessors deployed to client construction sites to enable work-based qualification achievement.

The business operates a hybrid delivery model combining on-site workplace assessment, seven fixed Skills Academies across the East Midlands, South Yorkshire, and North West, and access to 200+ partner specialist training facilities nationwide. CSP's go-to-market is enterprise field sales through dedicated Training Advisors and Business Development Teams who engage construction employers directly to identify training needs and secure CITB grants. Customer segments span individual construction operatives seeking CSCS/CPCS compliance cards, supervisors pursuing Gold cards via Level 3/4 NVQs, senior managers seeking Black cards via Level 6/7 NVQs, construction firms needing workforce upskilling, and unemployed/career-changers entering the industry.

Revenue is generated through three streams: government-funded Skills Bootcamps (DWP, DfE, GLA, Combined Authorities), CITB grant administration and recovery services, and commercial fee-for-service NVQ/accredited course delivery. CSP accessed over £10 million in government Skills Bootcamps funding for clients and recovered over £1 million in CITB grants for 150+ companies in the last 12 months, supporting 20,000 learners annually across 75% of the UK's top 100 construction companies. The company holds an OFSTED 'Good' rating and is headquartered in Chesterfield, Derbyshire, with offices in London, Birmingham, and Sheffield.

Name

Construction Skills People

Legal name

Skills People Group

Website

https://constructionskillspeople.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Construction Skills People is the UK's largest construction-sector training provider, delivering NVQs and accredited CSCS/CPCS, site safety, and plant courses to 20,000 learners annually across 75% of the UK's top 100 construction companies via on-site delivery and a national academy network.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Construction Vocational Training and Qualifications

NAICS

Apprenticeship Training (611513), Technical and Trade Schools (6115), Other Technical and Trade Schools (611519)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Online Healthcare & Nursing Universities (Allied Health, RN-to-BSN, etc.) (EDAHALAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Incumbent Worker Training & Upskilling (EDAAAOAE), Construction, Engineering & Skilled Trades Licensure Prep (EDAAANAL)

Keywords

• Construction NVQ training
• Vocational qualifications
• CSCS card training
• Plant operator courses
• Site safety training

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices11 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Government-Funded Training (Skills Bootcamps): Revenue generated from delivering Skills Bootcamps funded by the Department for Work and Pensions, Department for Education, Greater London Authority, and various Combined Authorities. These programs provide fully funded or subsidized training to individuals and employers in the construction sector.
2. CITB Grant Administration Services: CSP assists CITB-registered employers in securing NVQ achievement grants and manages the claims process on behalf of clients, generating revenue through training delivery supported by these grants.
3. Commercial NVQ and Training Delivery: Fees charged for delivering National Vocational Qualifications (NVQs) and accredited training courses including CSCS card pathways, plant operations, site safety, and specialist trade qualifications to construction workers and companies.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Construction Skills People delivers work-based National Vocational Qualifications (NVQs Levels 2-7) and accredited training courses across the UK construction sector, covering CSCS and CPCS card pathways, plant operations, site safety (SMSTS/SSSTS), First Aid, and Working at Height. Training is delivered primarily on client worksites by visiting assessors, supplemented by a network of fixed and pop-up Skills Academies, and supported by CITB grant recovery and government Skills Bootcamp funding administration.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Skills Academies: Fixed and pop-up training academies providing hands-on construction training across England, including bricklaying, joinery, carpentry, plastering, painting and decorating courses.

Products and services

• NVQ Qualifications (Levels 2-7)

Quantifiable outcome

• 20,000 learners helped in the last 12 months
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• Search ConsultancyminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRecruitment partner for Greater Manchester Skills Academy, facilitating transitions into employment for course graduates.
• Zenith Advisory Partners Ltd (ZAP)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRecruitment partner for Greater Manchester Skills Academy helping graduates transition into the construction industry.
• Derby CollegeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Derby College for Derby Skills Academy, combining educational credentials with practical training facilities.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Remit Training: Remit is a UK-wide apprenticeship and vocational training provider with strong construction and trade employer accounts, delivering funded apprenticeship programmes and short-course qualifications. It is directly comparable to CSP as a private-sector competitor offering apprenticeship levy and government-funded training routes in the construction sector.
• JTL: JTL is one of the UK's largest training providers for the building services engineering sector, delivering apprenticeships and qualifications for electrical, plumbing, and HVAC trades. It is directly comparable to CSP as a large-scale, sector-specific vocational training and apprenticeship provider serving UK construction and built environment employers.
• Develop Training Limited (DTL): DTL delivers technical and safety training to the UK utilities, construction, and rail sectors, including site safety, confined spaces, and plant operations. It is comparable to CSP as a specialist construction/industrial training provider delivering CITB-aligned safety and operative qualifications to large employer clients.

Regional players

• GTG Training: GTG is a Glasgow-based vocational training provider offering construction, plant, and safety courses across Scotland and the UK. It is comparable to CSP as a construction-specialist training provider with regional academy facilities and CPCS/NPORS-accredited course delivery, though anchored in Scotland rather than England.
• BCTG Ltd: BCTG is a Birmingham-based construction training provider with a long history delivering apprenticeships and trade qualifications in the West Midlands. It is comparable to CSP as a regional construction-focused training provider using CITB/government funding, though concentrated in a single region rather than operating nationwide.

Broad incumbents

• NOCN Group: NOCN is a major UK awarding organisation and apprenticeship provider covering construction, engineering, health, and digital skills. It is comparable to CSP as a national-scale training/qualifications business whose products (NVQs, apprenticeship standards) CSP itself uses; it competes for end-customer relationships through its own approved training providers.
• City & Guilds: City & Guilds is one of the UK's largest vocational awarding bodies, offering construction, trade, and apprenticeship qualifications across multiple sectors. It is comparable to CSP as a major UK vocational qualifications and training brand and competes indirectly through its network of approved centres and own training programmes.
• CITB (Construction Industry Training Board): CITB is the statutory industry training board for the UK construction sector and operates its own grant schemes (including the Skills and Training Fund through which CSP helps clients apply). It is comparable as the dominant, sector-defining incumbent governing training and qualifications policy that CSP delivers against, though it is also a partner/funder rather than purely a competitor.

Emerging players

• Total Training Solutions (TTS) / Prime Training Group: Prime Training Group / TTS delivers apprenticeship and commercial training across construction and trades in the Midlands and North of England. It is comparable to CSP as a regional competitor in NVQ, apprenticeship, and government-funded bootcamp delivery for construction employers.
• Learning Skills Partnership: Learning Skills Partnership is a UK training provider focused on apprenticeships and vocational qualifications across construction and related sectors. It is comparable to CSP as a competitor in government-funded apprenticeship and bootcamp delivery for construction employers, though at smaller scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/cskillspeople

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Construction Skills People