National Construction College Scotland Hosts Swedish Delegation

The Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) recently welcomed a delegation of senior representatives of the Swedish construction industry and education sector to its National Construction College (NCC) in Inchinnan, Scotland.

The visit was arranged to share insights into how the Swedish construction industry can learn from the Scottish industry to deliver apprenticeships in rural areas.

Skills Development Scotland (SDS) supported the Scottish Government with hosting the delegation of local officials, politicians, employer groups, trade unions, and education providers from a rural area in the north of Sweden, all who work in apprenticeships and qualifications.

Knowledge Sharing

The delegation learnt about how apprenticeships are delivered in rural areas in Scotland, with particular focus on how to deliver plumbing and roofing apprenticeships in rural areas, how to utilise online technologies to support teaching, and how best to deliver in a widespread rural area.

Ian Hughes, Engagement Director for Scotland, CITB, said: “It was a pleasure to welcome the Swedish delegation to our National Construction College in Inchinnan and show them how we are working with industry partners to develop the next generation of the construction workforce.

“It was a great opportunity for us to showcase how NCC supports learners from across the country, including through initiatives like CITB’s Travel to Train Grant, which helps apprentices overcome barriers to accessing specialist training regardless of where they live.

“We hope the visit proved valuable and provided insights into how targeting skills investment and collaboration can help support construction employers and learners in rural areas.”

Anders Lundström, Administrative Project Manager – Apprentice of the Future, Adult Education, part of the Swedish delegation, added: “We were very impressed by the strong connection between training and real working environments. It was inspiring to see how practical skills, industry needs, and education are brought together.

“Although Sweden and the UK have different education systems, we share many of the same challenges, and there is a great deal we can learn from each other.”

NCC Scotland

NCC Scotland has been delivering construction training for over 55 years and offers over 140 courses, from one-day health and safety training through to longer-term apprenticeships, to support employers with their current and future training needs.

In the last year alone, NCC Inchinnan recruited 310 new apprentices and expects to recruit approximately 290 new starts this year.

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