What is a CTEC?
A Construction Technical Excellence College (CTEC) is a government-backed initiative to raise the quality of construction training across England.
The government chose ten colleges to lead this work. In the North-West, Wigan & Leigh College holds CTEC status, coordinating the regional programme.
Why it exists
With 1.5 million homes to build and major infrastructure to deliver, the UK needs 40,000 skilled construction workers by 2029.
And modern construction is changing, embracing drones, digital modelling, sustainable materials, advanced manufacturing, and robotics. Training needs to reflect that, keeping up with changes and ensuring learners have the skills employers need.
The North-West CTEC brings together colleges, employers, and training providers to prepare and train people for construction jobs now and in the future.
The North-West CTEC model
Led by Wigan & Leigh College, in strategic partnership with Blackpool & The Fylde College and East Lancashire Learning Group, The North-West CTEC uses a hub-and-spoke model. This means:
- Local training: High-quality education delivered close to where learners live.
- Consistent standards: Quality and consistency across all providers.
- Shared resources and best practice: Collaboration across the region to raise standards.
- Employer input: Shaping what we teach so it’s relevant to industry.
- Creating pathways: Ensuring learners are ready to go straight into work.
Meet the team
Jo Hall
Director: The North-West CTEC at Wigan & Leigh College
Jo’s career spans senior roles across further education, university technical colleges and skills partnerships. She has extensive experience in leading large technical departments, delivering capital-funded projects, implementing T Levels and working closely with employers to design industry-relevant provision.
Jo was part of the senior leadership team at University Technical College Warrington. She also led professional engineering and built environment provision at Riverside College, responsible for significant curriculum growth, quality improvement and employer engagement across multiple qualification types. She has also worked at regional and national level on technical education reform, including Level 4 and 5 skills development, encouraging women into STEM careers, and green skills initiatives.
What is the Government investing?
The Department for Education is investing £100 million across all CTECs.