Evaluation of the Construction Skills Fund 2

Final report

The Construction Skills Fund 2 (CSF2) was funded by the Department for Education (DfE) and administered and implemented by the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB). Funding of £7.5 million was awarded to 14 projects (hubs) to deliver training and job brokerage.

Training activities took place between April 2020 and March 2021, with participants’ outcomes monitored until September 2021. Hubs were mobile training facilities situated on construction sites which provided training to become construction site ready for people who were either unemployed or looking to change career. The hubs aimed to be employer-led, meeting the skills needs for specific roles and creating entry level pathways into the construction sector through the delivery of information, advice and guidance, training and testing for the Construction Skills Certification Scheme (CSCS) card, training for in-demand entry level construction skills, and providing job brokerage.

This evaluation aimed to explore pathways to employment through the hubs, assess the quality of employment outcomes, explore cost effectiveness of the programme, and draw on lessons learned for skills and employment support policy. The report draws on analysis of audited management information covering April 2020 to September 2021, and longitudinal hub case-studies, including interviews with hub staff, partners and participants, and a value for money analysis using information provided by the hubs.