The 2026 ECITB National Forum set out the organisation's priorities for the year ahead as the Engineering Construction Industry Training Board begins implementation of its new five‑year Leading Industry Learning strategy.

More than 200 representatives from engineering construction employers, training providers and wider stakeholders joined the annual virtual event, which also reviewed performance across 2025.

Opening the Forum, Lynda Armstrong OBE, Chair of the ECITB, thanked industry partners for their support in shaping the new strategy last year and for backing the organisation through the levy consensus process. She also noted the Board's closer working relationship with government following the transfer of sponsorship to the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP).

"During 2025 we secured greater engagement with the UK and devolved governments and continue to forge greater political engagement," said Lynda Armstrong OBE, Chair of the ECITB.

"For example, we gave evidence at two select committees and our labour market intelligence is being used as a key data source in live debates, committee reports and key national policy documents.

"We are working directly with NISTA to support analysis of the UK Infrastructure Pipeline, delivered the wind cross-skill pilot in partnership with Scottish Government and we sit on the Government's Construction Skills Mission Board.

"This all raises the profile and understanding of the importance of the ECI within the corridors of power."

ECITB Chief Executive Andrew Hockey shared 2025 highlights, the final year of the 2023–25 strategy, and reflected on achievements across the full three‑year period. "During this time, we have supported over 6,500 new entrants into the engineering construction workforce, invested £103.6 million in training and committed £3 million into regional skills hubs."

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Key outcomes from 2025 included:

- 85% of employers, representing 98% of levy income, supporting levy rates.

- 300 employer delegates giving resoundingly positive feedback during the 2026–2030 strategy consultation sessions.

- £32.6m invested in training grants and new entrant programmes, with 90% of in-scope levy payers receiving grants.

- 13% growth in technical training, with 71,833 learners using ECITB‑approved products, including 28,348 CCNSG Safety Passport.

- 8% of in-scope employers covered as part of the 2024 Workforce Census, published last year.

- 59,000 online course completions from 28,503 unique users (up 23.1%) on the Learning Experience Platform (LXP).

- 21,415 delegates trained in 23 countries via ECITB Global, a 37% increase on 2024.

Looking ahead, the ECITB has moved to a five‑year planning horizon with its 2026–2030 strategy, underpinned by an annual business plan to remain agile while focused on long‑term goals. Matt Knights, Director of Regional Operations, explained how the 2026 Business Plan translates strategic intent into delivery on the ground.

Matt added: "We reinforced our commitment to regional approaches in our final strategy. This is based on feedback that data-driven measures, with place-based skills planning and delivery by local training providers was the correct approach."

Detailed priorities for 2026 include:

- Introduce digital certification to support trusted, portable recognition of skills.

- Strengthen sector workforce intelligence, providing demand insights through web vacancy scraping activity.

- Grow cross-skilling programmes to support the transition of at-risk workers into other sectors.

- Establish a SkillsBuilder function on the LXP to enable employers to track employee skills.

- Publish a Higher Education Strategic Engagement Plan to align degree provision with industry needs.

- Implement review-led improvements to new entrant programmes, including expanding the Work Ready programme into new settings such as prisons.

- Develop a refreshed Career Progression Route Map to help individuals navigate ECI career paths.

- Deliver pilot initiatives to increase trainer and assessor capacity.

- Implement recommendations from the Regional Skills Hub Working Group to secure sustainable, strategic investment in key hotspot areas.

- Deliver a key ED&I or attraction initiative in each ECITB region.

- Deepen skills‑system collaboration through coordinated partnerships, including a joint delivery plan with CITB.

The Forum also heard updates on the evolution of the Assuring Competence in Engineering (ACE) Card scheme from Chris Mann, Director of Learning and Assurance. Adrian Wookey, Head of New Entrants, Training Pathways and Further Education Strategy, provided the latest on apprenticeships, the ECITB Scholarship and Work Ready programmes. The event concluded with a Q&A with all speakers.