A network of colleges across Yorkshire and the Humber has entered into a pioneering partnership with the Supply Chain Sustainability School, providing students and staff with access to thousands of sustainability resources designed to support the future construction workforce.
The initiative will see 17 colleges become partners of the Supply Chain Sustainability School, marking the first time a regional college network has received specialist sustainability support through the Department for Education-backed Construction Technical Excellence Colleges (CTECs) programme.
The partnership highlights growing collaboration between further education providers and industry to ensure learners are equipped with the skills required for major infrastructure, housing and net-zero projects.
The Supply Chain Sustainability School works with more than 225 industry partners and supported over 50,000 learners from 7,000 supply chain businesses during the past year. Its programmes are already embedded within major national projects, including HS2, National Highways and Sizewell C, helping to develop sustainable construction capabilities across supply chains.
Under the new agreement, participating colleges will gain access to more than 4,000 sustainability resources, specialist training programmes, best-practice guidance and industry networks. The partnership will also support staff professional development and curriculum enhancement, ensuring learners are exposed to industry-led knowledge and emerging sustainability practices.
The initiative has been made possible through an agreement between the Supply Chain Sustainability School and Leeds College of Building, which was selected as the Yorkshire and Humber representative within the national CTEC programme for 2025/26.
The Government hopes the CTEC initiative will help train an additional 40,000 construction professionals by 2029 to support demand across infrastructure, housing and green energy sectors.
Rob Holmes, Vice Principal for Curriculum, Quality and Innovation at Leeds College of Building, said the partnership reflects the core objectives of the CTEC model: “A core aim of the CTEC hub-and-spoke model is to give local training providers access to construction expertise, resources and industry knowledge that might otherwise be out of reach,” he said.
“This creative collaboration supports Department for Education priorities, positions Yorkshire and the Humber at the forefront of sustainable further education, and reinforces the region’s ambition to lead the transition to a low-carbon future.”
The partnership offers a further example of how colleges are aligning curriculum investment with industry demand, sustainability objectives and regional economic priorities. It also highlights the increasing importance of employer engagement and industry partnerships in shaping future workforce development strategies.
Image credit: Supply Chain Sustainability School (The School).
