The Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) has agreed £1.2m funding for two projects that will increase the skills capacity for this growing sector in education, for school leavers and among industry trainers.

The projects are being led by the Construction Scotland Innovation Centre (CSIC), and the Manufacturing Technology Centre (MTC).

Both projects will be pioneering a collaborative approach involving employers, providers, contractors and leading innovation organisations that will bring new, free, innovative training materials to industry.

CSIC will help establish an offsite construction competency framework, while both projects will draw from existing training materials and industry knowledge to create the new content, mapping it to current training and qualifications.

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Teaching support and upskilling programmes for offsite trainers will be developed, with sessions taking place across the country to upskill trainers in key offsite roles and functions.

As a result of this investment, industry and education will have free access to a range of standardised, innovative and blended learning materials. Trainers in education and industry will be able to upskill themselves in offsite manufacturing and construction, alongside an outreach programme for secondary schools to show a new generation the career opportunities involved.

Offsite construction is the manufacture and assembly of construction components ahead of installation onsite.

Steve Radley, CITB Strategy and Policy Director, said: "Offsite construction creates a range of exciting new skills needs and opportunities, including in assembly, digital technologies and installation. We're looking to build these into training at both entry level and also to enable upskilling within the industry, because getting this right can mean a more multi-skilled, diverse and productive workforce."