The Skills Centre
The Skills Centre is a UK construction training provider founded in 2016, delivering apprenticeships, NVQs, pre-employment programmes, skills bootcamps and CSCS testing across 11 centres for unemployed individuals, construction employers and local authorities.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2016
- HeadquartersLondon, United Kingdom
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What The Skills Centre does
The Skills Centre is a UK construction training and apprenticeship provider founded in 2016 and headquartered in London, operating 11 training centres across England and Wales. It delivers a comprehensive curriculum spanning pre-employment programmes, apprenticeships (formwork, groundwork, steel fixing, highways, interior systems/dry lining), NVQ qualifications from Level 2 to Level 7, skills bootcamps (rainscreen cladding, insulation, formwork, plant operations), CITB-approved CSCS card testing, Site Safety Plus courses (SSSTS/SMSTS), functional skills and ESOL, plus a Digital Skills and AI Framework. Its underlying technology is the proprietary Learning Assistant e-portfolio assessment system, which collates multi-modal evidence (site observations, professional discussions, witness testimonies, photo/video evidence, knowledge questions), alongside an eSkills online training platform for remote learners.
The company operates a hybrid revenue model dominated by government-funded training delivered free to eligible learners (unemployed, low-income, London/UK residents) via CITB, the Department for Education Skills Bootcamps, the Greater London Authority, the Mayor's Construction Academy, the West Midlands Combined Authority and the European Social Fund. Commercial revenue streams are layered on top, including fee-based NVQ qualifications, CITB-approved short courses priced at GBP 250-495+VAT, CSCS testing at GBP 50 per test, and managed apprenticeship services. Go-to-market is hybrid: enterprise field sales to construction employers and developers (FM Conway, Lendlease, Places for London, Ballymore, EKFB, ECDC, TfL, Ardmore, Bouygues, Mitie), plus event-driven community recruitment through Job Centres, councils, schools, and dedicated programmes for women, ex-offenders, care leavers, and the over-50s. Headcount is 51-100 employees.
The Skills Centre has grown from its 2016 Southwark Council origin to four exclusive training centres (Southwark, Stratford Build East, Earls Court, Edgware) and additional delivery locations, with leadership including CEO Jon Howlin and Managing Director Dan J Langford OBE. It holds CITB-approved training provider status, Matrix QM accreditation, and an Outstanding Ofsted rating for Adult Learning Programmes. The company is private with no disclosed equity funding rounds or parent entity; capital appears to flow via government grants, levy-funded training, and employer partnership contributions rather than institutional investment.
The Skills Centre firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- The Skills Centre
- Legal name
- The Skills Centre
- Website
- https://theskillscentre.co.uk
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2016
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- The Skills Centre is a UK construction training provider founded in 2016, delivering apprenticeships, NVQs, pre-employment programmes, skills bootcamps and CSCS testing across 11 centres for unemployed individuals, construction employers and local authorities.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
The Skills Centre industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Construction Training Services
- NAICS
- Apprenticeship Training (611513), Technical and Trade Schools (6115), Professional and Management Development Training (611430), Educational Support Services (61171)
- SIC
- Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Employment Agencies (7361)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Apprenticeships, Internships & Work-Based Learning Programs (BPACANAK)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Training Delivery Providers (In-Person, Virtual, Train-the-Trainer) (BPACANAM), Construction & Trades Licensure (Contractor, Electrician, Plumber, HVAC CE) (EDAAALAH), Working at Heights, Fall Protection & Scaffolding (EDABAEAH), Technical & Digital Skills Training (BPACANAB)
Keywords
Where The Skills Centre is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- London
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices11 records
Markets served
The Skills Centre business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Government-Funded Training: Majority of training is free to eligible learners (unemployed, low income, London/UK residents meeting criteria) through funding from CITB, DfE Skills Bootcamps, Greater London Authority, Mayor's Construction Academy, West Midlands Combined Authority, and ESF.
- Commercial NVQ Training: Fee-based NVQ qualifications with limited funded spaces. Learners not eligible for funding pay commercial rates for Level 2 NVQ programmes.
- Short Course Training: CITB-approved short courses including SMSTS (£495+VAT) and SSSTS (£250+VAT) delivered commercially across UK. CSCS testing at £50 per test.
- Apprenticeship Levy Management Services: Managed apprenticeship services helping organisations maximise apprenticeship levy investment and navigate levy returns.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Level 2 NVQ Ductwork Installation |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | SMSTS (Site Management Safety Training Scheme) |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | SSSTS (Site Supervisors Safety Training Scheme) |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | CSCS Test |
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Pre-employment Programmes |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels8 records
The Skills Centre product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The Skills Centre is a UK construction training provider delivering NVQs, apprenticeships, Skills Bootcamps, pre-employment programmes, CSCS card testing, and Site Safety Plus health and safety courses. Training is delivered through multiple regional centres and supplemented by its own Learning Assistant e-portfolio, e-Skills platform, and Digital Skills & AI Framework. It serves both individual learners seeking construction careers and employers recruiting or upskilling construction workforces.
Product overview
The Skills Centre operates as a unified training platform offering a comprehensive portfolio of construction industry qualifications and programmes. The core offering spans apprenticeships (Formwork, Groundwork, Steel Fixing, Highways, Dry Lining), NVQs from Level 2-7, pre-employment programmes with guaranteed job interviews, specialist skills bootcamps (Rainscreen Cladding, Insulation, Dry Lining, Formwork), CSCS card testing, Site Safety Plus courses (SSSTS/SMSTS), digital skills training, functional skills (English, maths, ESOL), and early career mentoring. These products are designed to serve individuals at every stage of their construction career journey, from entry-level job seekers through to experienced professionals seeking supervisory qualifications. The company delivers through 11 physical training centres across the UK (London, West Midlands, Kent, Essex, Northamptonshire) plus online e-Skills programmes.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- NVQ Qualifications (Construction)
Quantifiable outcome
- 38,175+ individuals trained across UK operations
- +6 more outcomes
Companies that use The Skills Centre
Customer profileNamed customers23 records
Segments6 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
The Skills Centre technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
The Skills Centre partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
18 partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.
- Southwark CouncilflagshipStrategic partnership establishing Southwark Construction Skills Centre as a Southwark Council initiative. Collaborative effort with Lendlease to provide construction training and employment opportunities to local residents, benefiting the Elephant Park development community.
- Transport for London (TfL)corePartner in establishing Build East Skills Centre within Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park. Contributed to TfL's Mayors Construction Academy (MCA) hub including Tunnelling & Underground Construction Academy, and Construction Skills Programme.
- Places for London (TfL Property)flagshipThird joint initiative with Places for London following Stratford and Southwark. Edgware centre on Places for London land. £1.7bn Edgware regeneration investment creating 3,365 homes and 1,400+ jobs.
- EKFB (Eiffage, Kier, Ferrovial, BAM Nuttall)coreHS2 construction partner for Bicester Skills Centre. Provides formwork and steel fixing apprenticeships to support EKFB's workforce needs for HS2 high-speed rail project.
- O'Halloran & O'Brien (OHOB)coreKent training academy partnership. OHOB provides onsite work experience for Construction Gateway Programme. Learners gain employment opportunities with OHOB after completing programmes.
- LendleaseflagshipProperty developer partner with Southwark Council establishing Southwark Construction Skills Centre. Focus on social value through community engagement and local employment at Elephant Park development.
- Measom Dry LiningcoreEssex partner providing entry-level training with focus on Interior Systems and Dry Lining. Developed specialist Bootcamp and Dry Lining Apprenticeships. Recruits apprentices from training programmes.
- CITB (Construction Industry Training Board)coreApproved CITB training provider. Supports cladding bootcamp development. Provides 1-2-1 mentoring for new joiners. Engaged by UK Government as skills advisor. Supports CITB Employer Network events.
- FM ConwaycoreKent employer partner. Has employed 1,700+ candidates through partnership. Provides work experience and employment opportunities for pre-employment programme graduates.
- FIS (Finishes and Interiors Sector)coreIndustry body created to draw finishes and interiors supply chain together. Developed specialist Bootcamp and Dry Lining Apprenticeships with The Skills Centre. Provides industry expertise and employer connections.
- Women into ConstructioncorePartnership to promote and support women entering construction. Joint Women in Construction programmes across multiple centres. Addresses gender imbalance in the industry.
- Berkeley Group (St Joseph)coreHost partner for Mayor's youth unemployment plan announcement. Supporting 20,000 work placements target through Glasswater Locks development. Social mobility priority partnership.
- Earls Court Development Company (ECDC)flagshipPartnership to establish Earls Court Skills Centre on development site. Plans for 12,000 jobs and 2,000 construction jobs. Hub for future-focused skills including STEAMMM sectors.
- BallymorecoreEdgware regeneration partner with Places for London. £1.7bn investment in Edgware town centre. Supports construction training facility development.
- London Borough of BarnetcoreEdgware centre partner. Engaged through Brent Cross development. Care Leavers scheme connecting young people with construction work opportunities.
- JobMatchaminorApp partnership providing local employers immediate access to pre-qualified local workforce to meet current and future skills shortages.
- RIFT Social EnterpriseminorPartnership supporting people with convictions into construction jobs. Pilot programme delivering pre-employment training in prison and community with Probation Service.
- Paddington Development Trust (EQUIP ESF)minorEuropean Social Fund partner for Women into Finishing & Interiors - Build Back Employment Programme. Co-funding with CITB for programme delivery.
Scale indicators19 records
Recent moves8 records
Expansion highlights6 records
The Skills Centre competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Total Training Provision: UK apprenticeship and NVQ training provider active in construction, health and business. Overlaps with The Skills Centre on apprenticeship levy-funded construction programmes serving SME and enterprise employers.
- Building Heroes: UK charity/enterprise delivering construction training and employment support to ex-military personnel and disadvantaged groups. Comparable mission and beneficiary mix (unemployed, career changers) and similar pre-employment → apprenticeship pathway.
- Construction Skills People: Specialist construction training and apprenticeship provider serving UK contractors with NVQ and CSCS-related services. Overlaps directly on commercial NVQ delivery and apprenticeship recruitment services to the same employer base.
- K10 Apprenticeships (formerly Springvale Learning): UK apprenticeship provider across construction and other sectors, delivering levy-funded programmes and pre-employment pathways. Competes for the same employer apprenticeship contracts and public funding streams.
- BCTG (Birmingham Construction Training Group): Construction training group serving the West Midlands with apprenticeship and NVQ delivery, overlapping with The Skills Centre's West Midlands expansion (Birmingham, Coventry) and competing for the same CITB-funded learner pool.
- AccXel: UK construction skills training centre based in Cinderford, Gloucestershire. Directly comparable as a specialist construction apprenticeship and pre-employment training provider targeting similar cohorts (NEET, career changers) with employer-embedded delivery.
Broad incumbents
- Leeds College of Building: UK FE college specialising in construction trades, apprenticeships and NVQs. Comparable technical and trade curriculum but operates as a state-funded college with broader course breadth than The Skills Centre's construction-only focus.
- NHBC Training Services: House-building industry training arm delivering site supervisor, technical and apprenticeship programmes. Comparable on construction-specific training but anchored to NHBC warranty standards and house-builder membership rather than open market.
- CITB National Construction College (NCC): The industry training board's own training arm delivering SMSTS, SSSTS, NVQs and apprenticeships nationally. Sets the benchmark against which CITB-approved providers like The Skills Centre compete, and a partner/funder rather than purely competitor.
Emerging players
- Women into Construction: Specialist charity focused on women's entry into construction; partners with The Skills Centre on Women in Construction programmes. Comparable mission and beneficiary cohort rather than head-to-head training competition.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
The Skills Centre social profiles
Digital presenceThe Skills Centre compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance3 records
The Skills Centre financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
The Skills Centre leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles5 records
The Skills Centre funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
The Skills Centre M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about The Skills Centre
What does The Skills Centre do?
The Skills Centre is a UK construction training provider delivering NVQs, apprenticeships, Skills Bootcamps, pre-employment programmes, CSCS card testing, and Site Safety Plus health and safety courses. Training is delivered through multiple regional centres and supplemented by its own Learning Assistant e-portfolio, e-Skills platform, and Digital Skills & AI Framework. It serves both individual learners seeking construction careers and employers recruiting or upskilling construction workforces.
Is The Skills Centre a public or private company?
The Skills Centre is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was The Skills Centre founded?
The Skills Centre was founded in 2016. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is The Skills Centre based?
The Skills Centre is headquartered in London, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does The Skills Centre make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Government-Funded Training is the primary driver. The others are commercial NVQ Training, short Course Training and apprenticeship Levy Management Services.
Who are The Skills Centre's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Total Training Provision, Building Heroes, Construction Skills People, K10 Apprenticeships (formerly Springvale Learning), BCTG (Birmingham Construction Training Group) and AccXel. Broad incumbents are Leeds College of Building, NHBC Training Services and CITB National Construction College (NCC). Women into Construction is listed as an emerging player.
Does The Skills Centre have an API?
No public API is recorded for The Skills Centre.
What industry is The Skills Centre in?
The Skills Centre's product category is Construction Training Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPACANAK, Apprenticeships, Internships & Work-Based Learning Programs, with a secondary code of BPACANAM, Training Delivery Providers (In-Person, Virtual, Train-the-Trainer). Its NAICS code is 611513 and its SIC code is 8200.