What McCrae Training does

McCrae Training Ltd is a UK-based, founder-led vocational training provider specialising in accredited health, safety, and technical training for the water, gas, and construction sectors. Founded in 2012 and headquartered in East Kilbride, Scotland, the company operates a multi-modal delivery platform spanning classroom instruction, eLearning, virtual classroom, and hands-on practical assessment, anchored to a purpose-built Learning & Development Centre and Skills Academy that includes confined-space units and an external high-pressure water jetting academy. The product portfolio covers WJA-accredited water jetting, City & Guilds confined space, NRSWA street works, CAT 1/CAT 2 utility excavation, CITB SSSTS/SMSTS site safety, IOSH Working Safely/Managing Safely, SCO Gas, Utility SHEA across water/gas/power/telecoms/waste, and modern apprenticeship pathways in Water, Wastewater Networks, Treatment and Water Network Design. The company holds an unusually broad accreditation stack—IOSH, EUSR, CABWI, City & Guilds, WJA, CITB, NRSWA, SGS ISO 9001, Qualifications Scotland, and Institute of Water membership—which collectively serve as regulatory prerequisites for utility contractors and create high buyer-side switching costs.

The revenue model is predominantly course-based pay-as-you-go, with unit prices ranging from approximately £50 (CITB Health, Safety & Environment test) to £1,100 (City & Guilds Confined Space High Risk with Rescue & Recovery), augmented by recurring funded Modern Apprenticeship programmes delivered through Skills Development Scotland and CITB. Go-to-market is hybrid: a sales-led motion with a dedicated sales team handling enterprise contracts (Morrison Utility Services is identified as a "preferred" strategic partner; Kier is an anchor account for specialist polyethylene training), combined with a self-serve online booking system for SMBs and individual learners. Distribution is hybrid-physical: centre-based delivery in East Kilbride, mobile on-site delivery across the UK and Ireland, and two partner-operated satellite centres in Belfast (PE3 Pipeline Services) and Dublin (Total Pipeline Specialists). Founder and Managing Director Scott McCrae, a Fellow of the Institute of Water with 30+ years in the sector, anchors the brand; the company claims to support 95%+ of water and wastewater contractors and consultants in Scotland and was the only SME shortlisted alongside Costain, Wessex Water and Yorkshire Water for the Water Industry Awards 2021 Skills and Workforce Initiative of the Year.

Name

McCrae Training

Legal name

McCrae Training Ltd

Website

https://mccraetraining.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

McCrae Training is a UK-based, founder-led vocational training provider delivering accredited water, gas, and construction safety training to utility contractors and infrastructure firms across the UK and Ireland via centre-based, mobile, and apprenticeship programmes.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Utility and Construction Training Services

NAICS

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

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Utilities (Electric, Gas & Water) (EDABALBB)

Keywords

• Water utility training
• Construction safety courses
• Modern apprenticeships
• Vocational qualifications
• Water jetting training

Headquarters

HQ city

East Kilbride

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Training Course Delivery: Revenue from delivering accredited training courses across water, utilities, and construction sectors including water jetting, confined space, street works, and safety courses. Courses offered as one-time training events or modular programmes.
2. Modern Apprenticeships: Funded apprenticeship programmes through CITB and Skills Development Scotland for water industry qualifications including Water, Wastewater Networks, Treatment and Water Network Design
3. eLearning Programmes: Online training programmes providing flexible learning options for candidates requiring water hygiene and other industry certifications

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

McCrae Training is an accredited training provider delivering industry-specific courses, vocational qualifications, and Modern Apprenticeships to the water, gas, utilities, and construction sectors. Core offerings include WJA-approved high-pressure water jetting training, City & Guilds confined space programmes, NRSWA street works, CITB site safety (SSSTS, SMSTS), IOSH safety, Safe Control of Operations (gas), Utility SHEA, and utility excavation courses, alongside funded apprenticeships and SVQs. Training is delivered at purpose-built East Kilbride facilities, on client sites across the UK and Ireland, and via eLearning/virtual classroom.

Product overview

McCrae Training is a multi-award winning utility and construction training provider offering a comprehensive portfolio of accredited training courses, vocational qualifications, and apprenticeship programmes. The core offering consists of sector-specific classroom and eLearning courses including WJA-accredited water jetting programmes, NRSWA street works qualifications, CITB site safety training, IOSH safety courses, confined space training, and utility excavation certification. The company delivers EUSR-registered programmes across water, gas, power, telecoms, and construction sectors. Vocational qualifications and Modern Apprenticeships in water industry disciplines are funded through CITB and Skills Development Scotland. Training is delivered at the company's East Kilbride Learning & Development Centre, Skills Academy, and satellite centres across the UK and Ireland, with mobile training available at client sites.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• National Water Hygiene & Scottish Water DOMS A half-day accredited course covering minimum hygiene requirements for restricted operations in the mains water environment, combined with Scottish Water's Distribution Operations & Maintenance Strategy (DOMS) Modules 1-12. Targeted at water industry contractors, engineers, and operatives requiring DOMS and water hygiene certification for restricted operations.
• Utility SHEA Training (Water, Gas, Power, Telecoms, Waste, Drains & Sewers) Safety, Health and Environmental Awareness (SHEA) training programmes for multiple utility sectors including Water, Gas, Power, Telecoms, Waste Management, and Drains & Sewers, available as classroom and virtual classroom formats. Targeted at utility sector contractors and site personnel requiring site pass certification.
• NRSWA Street Works Full HAUC SQA-accredited 5-day street works training aligned to the New Roads and Street Works Act 1991, covering location and avoidance, signing lighting and guarding, excavation, and reinstatement modules for operatives and supervisors. Priced at £765 standard or £805 including Hot Lay reinstatement. Targeted at construction and civil engineering firms requiring street works certification.
• CAT 1 & CAT 2 Utility Excavations EUSR-accredited training covering Category 1 (Locate Utility Services using HSG47 methods) and Category 2 (Implement Safe Excavating Practices) for safely working with underground utilities. Targeted at construction, utilities, and infrastructure personnel performing excavation work.
• WJA High Pressure Water Jetting Training Water Jetting Association (WJA) approved, City & Guilds accredited water jetting training including Safety Awareness (SA), Drain Sewer & Gun (DSG), Surface Preparation (SP), Tube & Pipe Cleaning (TP), and Pressure Washing (PW) modules. Delivered at the East Kilbride Skills Academy with dedicated external water jetting facilities. Targeted at water utilities, drainage contractors, and surface preparation professionals.
• City & Guilds Confined Space Training City & Guilds accredited confined space training at Low Risk, Medium Risk (Entrant and Entry Controller), High Risk, and Rescue & Recovery levels, with options for combined programmes. High Risk + Rescue & Recovery ERT priced at £1,100 for 5 days. Targeted at water utilities, gas, and infrastructure workers operating in confined spaces.
• CITB Site Safety Training (SSSTS, SMSTS, HSA) CITB Site Supervision Safety Training Scheme (SSSTS, 2 days, £255), Site Management Safety Training Scheme (SMSTS, 5 days, £450), and Health & Safety Awareness (HSA) courses. Targeted at construction site supervisors, site managers, and operatives requiring CITB certification.
• IOSH Safety Training (Working Safely, Managing Safely) IOSH Working Safely (one-day, £180) and IOSH Managing Safely (three-day) courses for managers and supervisors covering risk assessment, hazard identification, and incident investigation. Targeted at managers and supervisors across industries requiring IOSH-recognised safety certification.
• Safe Control of Operations (SCO) Gas Four-day training programme priced at £850 for controlling, supervising, or managing work activities on gas networks, covering SCO Core, Permit to Work, Non-Routine Operations (NRO), Routine Operations (RO), and Form of Authority modules. Targeted at gas network operators, contractors, and engineers.
• Modern Apprenticeships & SVQ Qualifications Funded Modern Apprenticeship programmes and Scottish Vocational Qualifications (SVQs) in Water, Wastewater Networks, Water & Wastewater Treatment, and Water Network Design, certified by CABWI and Qualifications Scotland. Funded through CITB and Skills Development Scotland. Only provider in Scotland offering Water Industry Modern Apprenticeships and Design of Water Networks qualifications. Targeted at water industry employers seeking to upskill existing staff or recruit new talent.
• eLearning / Online Training Online and computer-based learning programmes including National Water Hygiene Computer Based Learning and virtual classroom versions of Utility SHEA courses. Targeted at individual candidates and organisations requiring flexible, low-cost certification paths in water hygiene and utility safety awareness.

Quantifiable outcome

• Supporting 95%+ of Water and Wastewater Contractors and Consultants in Scotland
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and regional.

• Morrison Utility ServicescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKey partner and preferred training supplier for health, safety requirements, technical training and other bespoke programmes. MUS recognised McCrae Training for excellent service, quality assured training delivery and infrastructure supporting their competency commitment.
• KiercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAppointed to deliver specialist training for polyethylene pipe installation and welding including Gas Butt and Electrofusion - industry prerequisite for utility contractors. Kier approached based on extensive experience in water and utilities sectors.
• PE3 Pipeline Services (Belfast)regionalChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSatellite training centre providing McCrae Training courses in Northern Ireland. Located at Unit 3, Glenville Industrial Estate, Newtownabbey BT37 0TU.
• Total Pipeline Specialists (Dublin)regionalChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSatellite training centre providing McCrae Training courses in Republic of Ireland. Located at 520 Grants Road, Greenogue Business Park, Rathcoole.
• Water Industry Skills Academy PartnerscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNetwork of training and education providers, awarding bodies, skills agencies and funding providers committed to tackling skills challenges and promoting certified contractor status within water sector. Includes universities, employers, schools, colleges, and award organisations.
• Skills Development Scotland (SDS)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerGovernment skills agency providing funding and support for Modern Apprenticeship programmes delivered by McCrae Training.
• CITBcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerConstruction Industry Training Board providing funding support for eligible levy-paying companies undertaking training courses.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• TTE Training: UK technical and vocational training provider offering apprenticeships and technical programmes to industrial and utility sectors — comparable apprenticeship-led business model and UK regional footprint.
• Develop Training Limited: UK-based specialist training provider focused on utilities, construction, safety and engineering courses including confined space, water, gas and street works — directly comparable portfolio and customer base to McCrae Training.
• 3t Energy Group: Global training provider serving the energy, utilities and process industries with safety, technical and competency-based training — overlapping with McCrae Training in utility-sector workforce certification.
• Falck Nutec (Survivex): International safety and technical training provider serving energy and infrastructure clients with confined space, working at height and competency courses — comparable safety/utility training mix.
• Safety & Access: UK specialist training provider offering confined space, water hygiene and utility safety courses — directly comparable confined-space and utility training portfolio.

Others

• Energy Institute: Professional body for the energy sector offering training, membership and standards — adjacent ecosystem player that sets competency frameworks McCrae Training courses are aligned to.

Broad incumbents

• Capita Training: Large diversified training and outsourcing group offering apprenticeships and vocational qualifications across multiple sectors — competing for the same apprenticeship funding streams as McCrae Training.
• Babcock International (Training Academy): Large defence and infrastructure services group operating training academies including technical and safety training — competing for utility/infrastructure training contracts at scale.
• Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) National Construction College: Statutory industry training body delivering CITB-accredited construction training across the UK — overlapping accreditation framework and SMSTS/SSSTS/HSA courses that McCrae Training delivers.

Emerging players

• BPIF / British Printing Industries Federation Training: Sector-specific apprenticeship and vocational training provider — comparable apprenticeship delivery model though operating in a different sector vertical.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/mccraetraining
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCaN--FbrXS5EDbOtXaPa4tQ
• Facebookfacebook.com/mccraetraining
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/mccrae-training-ltd
• Instagraminstagram.com/mccraetrainingltd_

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 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 McCrae Training