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Julie Gent Train in this order. First, the training the law names, like inductions, asbestos awareness and first aid. Next, the risks that could kill or injure someone on your sites. Then the cards and tickets your clients check at the gate. Skills for growth come after that. Measure it by what changes on site, not by a return figure. Look at completion, in-date certificates, near misses and whether people work the way they were trained.
Start with what the law already asks for
A lot of construction training isn't optional. Under Regulation 13 of the 1999 Management Regulations, you train people when they join and again whenever their risks change. A new role, new kit, new technology or a new way of working all count. The training has to happen in working hours, and HSE is clear the cost is yours, not your workers'.
CDM 2015 goes further for sites. Everyone you put on site must have the skills, training and experience for the job, or be partway through getting them. Every worker gets a proper site induction too, unless the principal contractor has done it already.
Two more are named in law. Anyone liable to disturb asbestos needs asbestos training, repeated at regular intervals. And you need enough trained first-aiders for your sites. Our guide to health and safety compliance covers the wider duties behind all of this.
Rank everything else by harm, headcount and change
HSE's training guide for employers sets out how to prioritise. Put training first where a gap could cause serious harm. Then what helps the most people, then new starters, people changing jobs and anyone using new kit.
Construction's numbers point to where serious harm sits. HSE's provisional figures show 25 construction workers were killed in 2025/26, more than in any other industry. Across all industries, falls from height killed 31 workers, the biggest single cause. Musculoskeletal disorders make up 53% of work-related ill health in construction.
| Priority | Training | Why it comes here |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Site inductions, asbestos awareness, first aid | Named in law |
| 2 | Working at height, manual handling | The biggest causes of death and ill health in construction |
| 3 | CITB HS&E test and the right CSCS card | Most principal contractors won't let workers on site without one |
| 4 | Task tickets for the work you're winning, like slinger or traffic marshal | Clients and site rules ask for them |
| 5 | Supervisor and manager courses, then NVQs | Growth and progression |
A suggested order for a typical construction employer, based on HSE's priorities and statistics, accurate as of September 2026.
If your sites can't run safely today, fix that before you pay for anything aimed at next year.
A CSCS card sits at priority 3 for a reason. CSCS says no law demands one. Even so, you'll find most principal contractors and major house builders asking for one. It shows skills and knowledge. Experience and behaviour are still yours to check.
For people stepping up, CITB's Site Safety Plus scheme runs SSSTS, a two-day course for supervisors, and SMSTS, a five-day course for site managers. If a manager needs the CSCS Black card, the NVQ Level 6 in Construction Site Management is built from a portfolio and usually runs 8 to 12 weeks. The split between the two jobs is set out in site supervisor vs site manager.
Measure what changes on site
We couldn't find a reliable, sourced return-on-investment figure for construction training, so we won't quote one. What you can measure is whether training happened, whether it's in date and whether it changed how people work.
HSE's guide gives the test. Do people understand what you need from them? Are they working as they were trained? Has your safety record improved? What are supervisors telling you? HSE and the Institute of Directors also tell boards to track both sides. That means training progress on one hand, and accidents and sickness absence on the other.
In practice, track these each month:
- Completion. The share of each team that has finished the courses on its list.
- Expiry. How many cards and certificates run out in the next 90 days.
- Time to site-ready. The days between a new starter's first day and their card, induction and task training.
- Near misses and incidents, logged the same way every month so you can compare.
- Sickness absence from work-related injury or illness, especially back and joint problems.
- Gate refusals. Workers turned away because a card was missing, wrong or out of date. CSCS Smart Check lets you check cards before the site does.
Keep the records in one place. HSE says records help you plan refresher training. They're also your evidence when an inspector or principal contractor asks.
What CITB will fund in 2026
Funding changed this year, so check before you budget. All employers registered with CITB can apply for grants, whether or not they pay the levy, as long as their Levy Returns are up to date.
CITB's short course grants now cover plant, scaffolding and a short list of specialist courses. A basic access systems erector course, for example, attracts £240. Other short courses no longer get a short course grant.
Most other construction short courses, including health and safety, now go through CITB's Employer Networks. From April 2026, employers with 1 to 249 staff can book health and safety courses at 50% match funding or a fixed contribution. First aid training is no longer funded, and the money is budget-led, so it can run out. Ask your CITB adviser which courses and providers qualify before you book.
Where our courses fit, and where they don't
Our employer training plans cover priority 2 and some priority 4 tickets. They bundle online CPD courses such as health and safety in the workplace, working at height, manual handling, COSHH, slinger and traffic marshal. Most take 1 to 3 hours on any device. Finish a course and you can download a dated certificate there and then.
A CPD certificate is proof of training. It isn't a scheme card, and we don't run SSSTS or SMSTS. Our health and safety courses page lists every course, including asbestos awareness and first aid, if you'd rather book one at a time.
Start with a list of every worker, their tasks and what they hold. The gaps tell you what to book first.
Frequently asked questions
What training is mandatory for construction workers?
No single course is mandatory for everyone. The law wants every worker to be up to their tasks through skills, training and experience, and to get a site induction. Specific laws add asbestos training for anyone liable to be exposed, and trained first-aiders. CSCS cards sit outside the law, yet most principal contractors ask to see one.
Do employers have to pay for health and safety training?
Yes, where the law says the training must happen. The 1999 Regulations say health and safety training must happen during working hours, and HSE says it must not be at your employees' expense. Section 9 of the 1974 Act also stops employers charging staff for anything a specific legal requirement makes them provide.
Can I get CITB funding for staff training?
Often, if you're registered with CITB and your Levy Returns are up to date. Plant, scaffolding and some specialist courses still get short course grants. Most other short courses, including health and safety, are part-funded through Employer Networks, at 50% for firms with up to 249 staff from April 2026. First aid is no longer funded.
How do I know if staff training has worked?
Watch what people do after it, not just whether they passed. HSE suggests checking that people understand what's expected, work as they were trained and that your safety record improves. Track completions, expiry dates, near-miss reports, incidents and sickness absence each month. Ask supervisors what they've seen change on site.
How often should construction staff be retrained?
Whenever their risks change, and at regular intervals after that. The law doesn't set one interval for all training, but asbestos training must be repeated regularly. Cards and many certificates have expiry dates. CSCS Labourer cards, for example, last two years at first. Log every expiry date so refreshers get booked before anything runs out.
Do subcontractors need training too?
Yes. HSE says self-employed people working under your control may count as your employees for health and safety. CDM 2015 says contractors must not put anyone on site without the right skills, training and experience. CITB short course grants can also be claimed for subcontractors, as well as for directly employed staff and business owners.
Is online training accepted on construction sites?
It depends on the site and the course. Online CPD certificates show someone has been trained. They don't replace a scheme card where a site asks for one. For CITB grant-funded courses, e-learning must match the published standard and run for at least half its stated duration. Check what your principal contractor accepts before you book.