Building safety project launched to upskill façade workers

The Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) has launched a £250,000 project to upskill 100 rainscreen façade system installers and 24 supervisors to accelerate remediation works required across the country.

Wigan headquartered 3B Training Ltd, a multi-accredited CITB Approved Training Organisation (ATO) that recently became part of Morson Group, has been awarded this two-year contract for the exclusive delivery of the pilot programme across England, Scotland and Wales.

In December 2024, in direct response to the findings from the Grenfell Tower Public Inquiry, the UK Government published its Remediation Acceleration Plan, outlining its ambition to accelerate the pace of remediation for buildings in England with unsafe cladding.

Similarly, the Scottish Government has launched several schemes, providing millions in funding to accelerate the pace of building safety assessments and remediation works. The Welsh Government also introduced its Building Safety (Wales) Bill in July 2025 with the intent of establishing clearer lines of responsibility for managing building safety risks.

To ensure industry’s preparedness to support the Government’s initiatives, CITB has been working with employers, Government, and other stakeholders to put in place updated training for the inspection and installation of façades that meet improved fire safety standards.

The UK Government has set stringent targets for the removal of unsafe materials and for the installation of improved, compliant rainscreen façade systems for high-risk buildings. CITB’s project provides training opportunities for installers and supervisors in the rainscreen façade sector to provide clear pathways and training standards.

Tim Balcon, Chief Executive at CITB, said: “People across the country need to feel assured that we have a competent and skilled workforce to deliver the urgently required remediation works to prevent tragedies like the Grenfell Tower fire happening again.

“Our research shows investment is needed to ensure we have the capability and competency, so we’re working with Governments, industry, and the Construction Leadership Council to publish these new standards for training providers across the country and increase the number of competent installers and supervisors as quickly as possible.”

A Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) spokesperson said: “This initiative aims to increase the number of qualified façade installers and site supervisors, ensuring the industry has the capacity and capability to meet the targets set by the Remediation Acceleration Plan. We encourage industry stakeholders to take advantage of this training opportunity to support the Government's ambition of making buildings safer.”

Mathew Bewley, Managing Director at 3B Training Ltd, said: “One of the key recommendations from the Grenfell Tower Public Inquiry was that installers of cladding systems undergo mandatory standardised training. Along with being appointed to deliver this training, we will also assemble a steering group of experts to help define the course content.

“It is a source of both enormous pride and responsibility to deliver this work which will fulfil this recommendation and help to ensure that a tragedy like Grenfell cannot happen again.”

The training courses for both installers and supervisors will be free to attend, and it is anticipated that course delivery will begin in early 2026 and will run nationwide.