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New City College Wins Regional CTEC Award
11 December 2025New City College (NCC) has been named the Greater London hub for construction training excellence after being awarded Construction Technical Excellence College (CTEC) status – one of only ten colleges in England to win this designation.
Winning colleges will share the £100 million government investment to tackle critical skills shortages in the construction sector. With the funding, new CTECs should be equipped to train 40,000 people in high-demand trades such as bricklaying, carpentry, roofing, plumbing, and electrical work by 2029. The CTECs will operate on a hub and spoke model—the “hub” is the central educational institution in the region (in this case, NCC) and the “spoke” is the institutions’ ability to partner with local providers and employers to ensure a robust network of industry-relevant courses, training, and job opportunities.
The announcement of CTECs comes as the first wave of a greater effort by the UK government. Earlier this year, £625 million became available to train 60,000 individuals via apprenticeships, skills bootcamps, and other funded courses. The broader initiative aims to plug skills gaps, reduce reliance on overseas labour and ensure the next generation of workers is equipped to deliver the homes, schools and hospitals the country needs.
For NCC, this recognition builds on its strong track record of delivering practical, employer-led training. With specialist construction and engineering facilities at Rainham and green skills centres at Hackney and Epping Forest, the college is already working closely with leading employers such as Vinci, Kier, Mace and SWIFT Brickwork to provide apprenticeships, work placements, and quality, industry-standard education.
Gerry McDonald CBE, Group Principal and CEO at New City College, said:
“New City College is well placed to lead construction skills development as the London region’s Construction Technical Excellence College…This new specialist college status will formalise and develop our work with other colleges and training providers, and even more sector-leading employers, to share expertise and give Londoners the skills and qualifications they need to embrace construction career opportunities now and in the future.“Our team wholeheartedly welcomes this new initiative and we are proud and excited to play such a key role.”
NCC’s designation marks the start of an exciting new chapter for construction education in London – and a major step forward in building a greener, more skilled workforce.
Author: Claire LoRusso (Green Skills Project Coordinator)
