At Construction Skills College (tradeteacher.co.uk), we’ve spent nearly two decades helping people from all walks of life build new careers, upskill, and gain confidence in the trades. Our journey from a small plumbing centre in 2004 to a nationally recognised training provider reflects our commitment to practical training, industry partnerships, and putting learners first.
Construction Skills College was founded in 2004 by our current director, David Hare. Back then, adults who wanted to retrain in construction had very limited options. Mainstream colleges had long waiting lists for night classes that could take years to complete, while the few private providers available were often poor quality.
David saw a clear gap: a need for short, intensive, hands-on training courses that gave learners real skills for real jobs. The centre was originally called the Plumbing Skills Centre and focused solely on plumbing training.
In the mid-2000s, Stoke-on-Trent was hit by a wave of redundancies as the pottery industry declined. We partnered with Unity on the Better West Midlands Project to help retrain workers in plumbing skills.
As demand grew, we were asked to expand into other trades, including:
This expansion led to a rebrand — and the Construction Skills College name was born.
Recognition and Milestones
Our commitment to quality training soon gained recognition. Highlights include:
We have proudly previously worked with B&Q for several years, training their staff in products and projects including plastering, plumbing, tiling, electrics, carpentry, flooring, kitchens, bathrooms, ECO and more.
We were the only training provider selected to deliver training to approximately 1,800 B&Q staff across 52 stores in the UK and Ireland for the launch of their new tiling range.
In addition, we collaborated with B&Q to design and run You Can Do It Training Centres within their stores, where customers were taught how to use products for their own home projects.
Our partnerships continue today. We currently work with:
We also deliver ELC funded training course to armed forces service leavers and to date have trained 2,220 service leavers and have an average evaluation score of 97% from 1,513 evaluation forms returned directly to ELCAS
Over the years, we’ve trained thousands of learners including:
Our reach extends beyond the UK too — we’ve welcomed learners from America, the Caribbean, Brunei, and across Europe.
We currently offer high-quality training in:
We are also expanding our training options to include:
Our success is built on values we’ve never compromised on:
From one small plumbing course to a nationally recognised training centre, we’ve grown steadily while staying true to our mission: providing first-class, practical training that changes lives.
The future is exciting. With new course formats, growing industry partnerships, and continued investment in our facilities, Construction Skills College will keep leading the way in high-quality trade training.
Have questions about our courses? Our team is here to help. Reach out to us anytime—we’re happy to assist you.
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