Construction and Built Environment Task Group
Construction and the built environment is a significant industry in East Sussex. With many small businesses and sole traders, jobs are 46% above the national average for the working population.
The Construction Task Group meets quarterly to champion employability and skills for this sector and coordinate activities and support the strategic priorities of Skills & Employment East Sussex. Built environment is also represented in this group.
The group sets a strategic plan annually in September, to drive forward partnership activities.
The group includes local employers such as:
- GM Monk
- Cheesmur Building Contractors Ltd
- OHM Energy
- Hawes Building Contractors
Other members include national construction employers, especially when they have building contracts in East Sussex, such as
- Morgan Sindall
- Balfour Beatty
- Jacobs
- Wilmott Dixon
- Volker Fitzpatrick
Education and training representatives and other stakeholders include:
- East Sussex College Group
- Construction Industry Training Board (CITB)
- University of Brighton
- Employment and skills departments of the local authorities.
- DWP Job Centre
The task group is chaired by Scott Monk of GM Monk Ltd, an electrical contractor company.
Chair Scott Monk, Director of GM Monk Ltd
The task group is vital to ensure the current and future challenges of skills and training in construction are represented at a local level for employers, training providers and other agencies. By working together, the task group has become stronger in identifying these needs and working to overcome the challenges. One of the main reasons I enjoy chairing this group is the communication, sharing of best practice and ideas the different employers in Construction bring to the table to assist training providers and the local councils/other agencies with their future training and skills development plans.
2025/26 Strategic Plan activities
| Partnership activities | |
|---|---|
| 1. Raise profile of careers in the sector (young people, job seekers, returners – note parents as key), including diversity | National bodies - use and share their resources, access support and expertise of CITB, NFRC and others, where appropriate. |
| Utilise Careers Hub opportunities e.g. open doors, CPD, work experience. | |
| Attend events and careers fairs, e.g. Big Futures. | |
| Produce job pathway videos and posters to promote the sector. | |
| Oversight and delivery of activities in the Retrofit Skills Plan [1.8 MB] [pdf] phase 2 action plan (including profile raising activities with schools and others, and free courses for the sector. | |
| Mapping project to identify sizeable development sites (commercial and residential) across the county, with the aim of being able to engage early in employment and skills/Section 106 conversations with developers and operators. | |
| Showcase 'back office' roles (e.g. surveyor, etc.) to widen the appeal of construction. Initiative could include links to Careers Leaders CPD. | |
| 2. Help industry to engage with education/ training provision to inform curriculum/ respond to industry need | Develop and deliver pilot industry-led after school club in Eastbourne. |
| Increase employer/education engagement opportunities, through the Careers Hub, Job Centre and other providers. | |
| Deliver Modern Work Experience pilot open doors - showcasing linked pathway on different roles in construction. | |
| Publicise T Level work experience as an opportunity for students to try the sector. | |
| 3. Curriculum and Training Programmes | Develop a roofing apprenticeship programme for delivery in East Sussex via East Sussex College, looking at opportunities for Skills Bootcamps and bitesized training. |
| Support the delivery of Skills Bootcamps, particularly those related to construction - providing intelligence, opportunities and support. Utilising networks to promote the programme. | |
| Look at opportunities for learning/training on AI in construction for the sector. | |
| 4. Widening the net of recruitment | Support the delivery of the Connect to Work programme, providing opportunities and support for those looking for employment. |
| CITB Industry Impact Fund bid to support widening the net focus. | |
| Support opportunities for Connect to Work as a pathway into apprenticeships. | |
| Increase the number of construction companies (e.g. modular builders) engaging with the task group, Careers Hub, Connect to Work, Skills Bootcamps, and other services. | |
| Ensure those on Sussex frameworks are invited to the task group. |
Construction Task Group meetings
Contact Skills & Employment East Sussex if you are a sector employer, training or education provider and want details. Other than your time, and occasional travel, there are no costs to joining Skills East Sussex meetings.
The next meeting of the group is on 24 September 2026.
We use an action tracker instead of traditional minutes. The action tracker includes ongoing actions, decisions, the task groups strategic plan, and attendees/apologies.
2025 26 Construction Task Group Meeting Activity & Decision Tracker June 2026 [203.5 KB] [xlsx]
If you have difficulties viewing or accessing these documents, or require the information in a different format please contact the Skills & Employment East Sussex Team.
Task group achievements
- Developed a bid and coordinated a partnership Retrofit strategy and activities [1.5 MB] [docx] via funding secured from DESNZ and Public Health. Offering free retrofit training and resources for construction businesses, council officers, housing associations and job centres, careers campaign in schools, recruitment of tutors and new Level 3 training. See Careers in construction and home improvement.
- Development of a Tutor Encounters event for the construction and engineering/ advanced manufacturing sectors - delivered in July 2023, enabling schools careers leads, teachers and college tutors to better understand the future needs of the sector and network with businesses through workshops, practical demonstrations and learning sessions.
- Job role videos created showcasing construction roles on the East Sussex Careers Hub website
- Delivery of a ‘design a flyer’ competition with 16 – 18 students to promote apprenticeships in construction to the sector
- Endorsement of a University of Brighton bid. The bid secured £100K for development of degree level construction apprenticeships.
- Key work with Sussex Council of Training Providers (SCTP) to support engagement between business and education. This informed co-design of the curriculum and recruitment of tutors from industry
- Representing the construction sector at careers/apprenticeships event annually, including the East Sussex Apprenticeship Graduation ceremonies, Big Futures and East Sussex Apprenticeship Roadshows.
- Supporting the Primary and Secondary Careers Hubs through the Enterprise Adviser Network, Industry Champions and Open Doors workplace visit programme. Read more about the Careers Hub
Retrofit Skills Task Group
Retrofit refers to any improvement work on an existing building to improve its energy efficiency, making them easier to heat, able to retain that heat for longer, and replacing fossil fuels with renewable energy. [Centre for Sustainable Energy]
East Sussex has a long history of supporting those most vulnerable to the impacts of cold and damp homes, through its Fuel Poverty programme and Warm Home Check Service. All five district & borough councils and the county council also work in a constortium to deliver energy efficiency measures to low-income households via the Warm Homes Local Grant. Many local businesses are also working to deliver upgrades to social housing and privately owned properties: insulation, glazing, solar PV, heat pumps and batteries.
Domestic retrofit (home upgrades) offers a way forward to addressing the rising energy bills and increasing fuel poverty. With the Governments Warm Homes Plan committing £15bn to offer ‘a plan for every household’ we anticipate much growth in this sector.
Retrofit Skills Task Group brings together businesses, colleges, training providers and local authorities to champion Retrofit as a sector and ensure that we can build the local skills and capacity in the construction sector to deliver this work.
The group published a Retrofit Skills Plan in February 2024, utilising funding from DEZNZ to deliver Phase 1 activities, Phase 2 activities are well underway with support from ESCC Public Health - East Sussex Retrofit Skills Strategy 2024 February [1.8 MB] [pdf]
The Retrofit Skills group reports to the Skills & Employment East Sussex Construction Task Group.
The group includes local employers such as:
- Chris Bartholomew Electrical
- Kings Rock Construction
- Osborne Energy
- Coastview Windows
- Upvolt Energy
Education and training representatives and other stakeholders include:
- Sussex Council of Training Providers (SCTP)
- East Sussex College Group
- DWP Job Centre Plus
- Citizens Advice 1066
- Representatives of the local authorities
The task group is chaired by Michael Courts, East Sussex Housing Partnership Lead.
If you would like to join the group or a meeting, contact Skills & Employment East Sussex . Other than your time, and occasional travel, there are no costs to joining Skills East Sussex meetings.
The next meeting of the group is on 17 September 2026.
Retrofit Skills Task Group Core Objectives based on the Retrofit Skills Plan 3 ambitions:
- Increasing awareness of retrofit among residents, statutory organisations, and businesses
- Promoting careers in retrofit and supporting inclusive recruitment
- Ensuring that there is the right supply of training for new entrants and employees
| We are collaborating on the following activities: |
|---|
| Building relationships with East Sussex Retrofit and Renewable businesses and network building |
| Preparation for the rollout of the Warm Homes Plan and ensuring our training offer is comprehensive to maximise opportunities |
| Filming solar PV and battery case studies for external communications |
| Developing electrician and plumber role profile videos and posters to promote these careers to young people, job seekers and career changers |
| Developing immersive technology interactive programme for year 5-8 pupils with East Sussex College Group |
| Profile raising activities with schools to show the breadth of roles and opportunities in the sector through careers and interactive sector related activities and programmes |
| Creating a Retrofit resource box for schools to complement curriculum learning about the sector |
| High profile programme for Green Careers Week (2-6th November) in partnership with local colleges, university and businesses |
| Increasing apprenticeship opportunities in the sector through sector engagement and the Transform Service and exploring promotion of roles via DWP |
| Increase employer/education engagement opportunities, through the Careers Hub, Job Centre and other providers |
| Deliver Modern Work Experience Open Doors in retrofit and wider construction - showcasing linked pathways on different roles in retrofit |
| Increase the number of retrofit companies engaging with the task group, Careers Hub, Connect to Work, Skills Bootcamps, and other ESCC Employment and Skills Team programmes |
| Skills building for council staff and energy advisers in the community sector on retrofit |