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Are Construction Defects Really a Training Problem?

Are Construction Defects Really a Training Problem?

by | Sep 9, 2026 | Health and Safety, NVQs, Training

When poor workmanship is discovered at snagging, the immediate response is often to repair it and move on. But repeated defects usually deserve a deeper question: did the people carrying out and supervising the work understand the required standard in the first place? A current CITB-funded training opportunity provides a timely reason for contractors to examine how they turn quality failures into competence development.

CITB’s September deadline puts workmanship back on the agenda

CITB announced on 1 September that employers have until 30 September 2026 to secure Roofing and Brickwork Masterclasses under the current fully funded arrangements.

The 90-minute sessions are delivered by NHBC building inspectors and concentrate specifically on issues those inspectors commonly encounter on completed and partially completed homes. CITB

Read CITB’s September Masterclass funding update

The Roofing Masterclass covers issues including underlay and battens, fire stopping, ventilation, flashings, tile and slate fixing, verges, valleys and ridges. Brickwork sessions include cavity construction, insulation, DPCs, cavity trays, cavity barriers, timber frame interfaces and sound insulation. CITB

Dry lining is also included in the programme, although the funding arrangement is different. CITB says those sessions cost £645 but may be funded by CITB for eligible employers, rather than being automatically provided under the same fully funded model as the current Roofing and Brickwork sessions. CITB

NHBC says Roofing and Brickwork sessions can also be delivered on or close to a live site, subject to minimum learner numbers and suitable accommodation. Roofing requires at least five roofing contractors and Brickwork at least seven, with a maximum of 12 delegates for either session. NHBC

That makes this more than a funding announcement. It is an opportunity to consider whether construction businesses are using inspection findings intelligently enough.

Snagging is often too late to start managing quality

A snagging list is useful for identifying what needs to be corrected. It is less useful if the same defect appears repeatedly across several plots, floors, projects or subcontractors.

At that point, the issue is no longer simply defective work. It is a management-system problem.

NHBC describes roofing as the build stage associated with the highest number of defects and warranty claims in new homes. Its Roofing Masterclass is specifically designed around helping trades avoid those recurring problems and reduce rework. NHBC

See the NHBC Roofing Masterclass content

Consider a recurring problem with incorrectly formed cavity trays.

Replacing or correcting the defective work addresses the immediate problem. But if six bricklayers are making the same error, simply issuing six snagging instructions misses the more important question: what caused the misunderstanding and how will we stop plot seven being built the same way?

The answer might involve training. It might also involve drawings, specifications, sequencing, product selection, supervision, setting-out information or an unclear interface between trades.

Not every defect is caused by incompetence, and training should not become the default solution to every quality issue.

But repeat defects should always trigger a competence question.

Building Regulations have changed the competence conversation

There is also now a statutory context that goes beyond client expectations and warranty standards.

Under the Building Regulations dutyholder regime in England, people undertaking building work must have the appropriate skills, knowledge, experience and behaviours for the work they carry out. Organisations must have the organisational capability needed to deliver compliant work. GOV.UK

Government guidance states that contractors must plan, manage and monitor the building work they carry out or control so that it complies with the relevant requirements.

Organisational capability includes having appropriate policies, procedures, systems and resources, together with arrangements for actively monitoring and supervising people. GOV.UK

Read government guidance on competence and building work

This is a legal requirement. Attending an NHBC Masterclass, completing an NVQ or holding a CSCS card is not, by itself, proof that every aspect of those duties has been discharged.

Government guidance specifically identifies formal training as one possible way of demonstrating competence, alongside evidence such as previous work and relevant experience. It also stresses that people should work within the limits of their competence and seek assistance where necessary. GOV.UK

The practical implication is important.

Competence is not a certificate held by the individual. It is the ability to apply appropriate skills, knowledge, experience and behaviours to the particular work being undertaken.

Training is evidence of competence, not competence by itself

Construction sometimes treats qualifications, cards, short courses and site inductions as interchangeable evidence that somebody is “competent”.

They are not.

A 90-minute technical Masterclass can give an experienced bricklayer valuable insight into recurrent cavity defects. It cannot turn somebody with no bricklaying experience into a competent bricklayer.

Likewise, an experienced roofer may have extensive practical ability but still benefit from training on a particular system, specification or detail they have not encountered previously.

Workplace qualifications serve another purpose.

A competence-based NVQ assesses whether somebody can demonstrate the requirements of their occupation through actual work. All Star Safety’s current [trade NVQ provision] Level 2 and Level 3 Trade NVQs includes bricklaying, roofing and interior systems among the available routes, with evidence obtained through workplace observation, professional discussion and real work records. All Star Safety Ltd

That provides evidence of occupational competence. It does not remove the need for project-specific information, manufacturer guidance, supervision or additional training when the work introduces something outside the person’s previous experience.

The most effective competence system therefore combines several things:

  • occupational competence;
  • relevant experience;
  • project-specific information;
  • product and system knowledge;
  • appropriate training;
  • adequate supervision; and
  • evidence that the required standard is actually being achieved.

Removing any one of those can create a gap.

Turn your defect data into a training plan

Quality inspections become considerably more valuable when their findings are aggregated rather than closed individually.

Instead of simply recording that a cavity barrier was corrected on Plot 12, record the type of failure.

If the same issue occurs on Plots 14, 18 and 21, management can see a trend that would otherwise be hidden among hundreds of separate snagging actions.

The same principle applies to roofing.

If verge details repeatedly fail inspection, identify whether the work is associated with a particular team, product, drawing detail, supervisor, house type or construction sequence.

That allows the response to be targeted.

Sometimes the answer will be a technical briefing. In other cases it may be supervised demonstration, manufacturer training, better drawings or a revised inspection hold point before subsequent work conceals the detail.

For higher-risk interfaces, a sensible approach is to establish a first-off inspection.

For example, inspect the first completed cavity tray, roof abutment or fire-stopping detail before allowing that team to repeat it across another twenty locations.

This turns quality assurance from retrospective snagging into active control.

It also provides much stronger evidence of organisational capability than simply producing a folder of training certificates when a client asks how competence is managed.

What should you do now?

For housebuilders, contractors and relevant subcontractors, the immediate opportunity is straightforward: check whether the current NHBC Masterclasses are relevant to work your teams are actually carrying out.

Roofing and Brickwork sessions remain available under their current fully funded arrangement until 30 September 2026. Dry Lining has a different funding model, so eligibility should be checked before assuming the employer contribution will be zero. CITB

More broadly, review how your business currently learns from defects.

Ask:

  • Which defects have occurred more than once during the last six months?
  • Are inspection findings analysed by trade and defect type?
  • Do supervisors know the most common recurring failures?
  • Are technical briefings targeted at actual site problems?
  • Are manufacturer instructions available where the work is carried out?
  • Do new systems or unfamiliar details trigger additional competence checks?
  • Are first-off inspections used before repetitive work proceeds?
  • Can you demonstrate why the people carrying out the work were considered competent?
  • Do trade qualifications actually match the activities those workers perform?
  • Is corrective training checked afterwards to establish whether the problem has stopped?

That last question is particularly important.

Training attendance is an input. Fewer defects are an outcome.

Businesses should measure both.

Our professional view

Construction has historically been much better at recording safety incidents than quality failures.

A near miss may trigger an investigation, toolbox talk and management review. Ten badly formed construction details can sometimes generate ten separate snagging sheets without anybody stepping back to identify the common cause.

That distinction is increasingly difficult to justify.

Quality, safety and compliance frequently intersect. Poorly installed cavity barriers are a quality defect with potential fire-safety consequences. Incorrect roof ventilation can lead to building-performance problems. Poorly installed structural components can move rapidly from workmanship into safety-critical territory.

The management disciplines are also very similar: clear information, competent people, suitable supervision, inspection, feedback and correction before the problem is repeated.

CITB’s current funding announcement is therefore useful even for contractors that never book one of these particular Masterclasses.

It is a reminder that training should respond to what is actually going wrong on site.

The best training matrix is not merely a list of expiry dates. It connects qualifications, experience, project requirements, observed performance and recurring defects so that competence development is directed where it will make a measurable difference.

For employers formalising the occupational competence of experienced tradespeople, All Star Safety’s Level 2 and Level 3 Trade NVQs provide workplace-based assessment across bricklaying, roofing, interior systems, carpentry, cladding and other construction occupations.

Can Construction Still Rely on Workers Travelling to the Job?

Can Construction Still Rely on Workers Travelling to the Job?

by | Aug 17, 2026 | Safety Update

New CITB research suggests the construction workforce is becoming increasingly local. Fewer workers are travelling long distances for employment, while the industry still needs tens of thousands of additional people each year. For contractors, that means recruitment strategies built around bringing labour in from elsewhere may become less reliable — and developing skills closer to where projects are being delivered will matter more.

CITB’s latest data points to a more local labour market

The ⁠CITB Workforce Mobility and Skills research, published on 12 August, found that 34% of construction workers had worked no more than 20 miles from home during the previous 12 months.

At the other end of the scale, 28% had worked more than 50 miles from home, down from 32% in 2022. The longer-term change is even clearer: only 10% had worked more than 100 miles from home, compared with 21% in 2015.

CITB attributes the trend partly to family, lifestyle and personal circumstances becoming more influential when people decide where they are prepared to work. Its conclusion is that skills strategies increasingly need to be place-based, linking employers, training provision and workforce development more closely to regional demand.

This is labour-market research rather than a new legal requirement, but it raises an important practical question for contractors: where will your next generation of skilled workers actually come from?

Why relying on a travelling workforce may become harder

Construction has always depended heavily on mobility. Major infrastructure schemes, commercial developments and housing programmes create temporary peaks in demand, and skilled workers have traditionally followed the work.

That flexibility is unlikely to disappear, but CITB’s figures suggest employers should not assume it will continue at the same level.

This comes at a time when the underlying workforce requirement remains substantial. CITB’s ⁠Construction Workforce Outlook 2026–2030 estimates that construction needs an average of around 41,200 additional workers each year between 2026 and 2030 — approximately 206,000 people over five years.

The issue is therefore not simply attracting people into construction nationally. Employers increasingly need to consider whether the right trades, plant operators, supervisors and managers will be available within realistic travelling distance of their projects.

For a business tendering for work several years ahead, workforce availability should therefore sit alongside plant, materials, subcontractor capacity and programme risk when assessing whether the job can genuinely be resourced.

Local training becomes part of project resilience

One response is to recruit locally. Another is to develop more capability within the workforce already available.

That might include bringing apprentices and new entrants into the industry, but it should also include existing employees who can progress into skilled, supervisory or management roles.

An experienced operative may already be carrying out work competently but need an occupational qualification to demonstrate that competence formally. A supervisor may be capable of progressing into site management but require structured development before taking on the wider responsibility.

Workplace-based ⁠construction NVQs can be particularly useful in this situation because experienced workers can demonstrate competence through their normal work rather than being removed from productive employment for lengthy classroom programmes. All Star Safety’s current NVQ provision ranges from trade and plant operations through to supervisory, management, lifting and occupational health and safety qualifications.

That does not mean qualifications should be used simply to fill vacancies quickly. The aim should be to identify people with the right experience and potential, then give them the development required for the role they are moving into.

Local recruitment does not lower the competence standard

A shortage of available workers does not change the employer’s health and safety responsibilities.

Under CDM 2015, contractors must have the necessary skills, knowledge, experience and, where relevant, organisational capability to undertake construction work safely. Contractors must also check that workers they employ or appoint have the skills, knowledge, training and experience necessary for their work, or are receiving appropriate training and supervision while developing them.

The ⁠HSE guidance for contractors makes the important point that the required level should be proportionate to the complexity of the work and the risks involved.

That creates an important distinction between developing someone and putting someone into a position before they are ready.

For example, promoting an experienced tradesperson into a supervisory role can be an excellent way to retain knowledge locally. But the individual may now need development in planning work, communicating controls, monitoring subcontractors, managing changing conditions and challenging unsafe behaviour.

Similarly, a competent plant operator does not automatically become a competent lift supervisor simply because the project cannot recruit one locally.

A successful local skills strategy must therefore develop competence rather than simply change job titles.

Employers may be able to obtain help with the cost

CITB is increasingly organising training support around local employer demand.

Its ⁠Employer Networks bring employers together within local areas to identify skills needs and influence how training support is prioritised. From April 2026, eligible micro, small and medium employers employing up to 249 people can access support through the networks, subject to the current funding rules and available budgets.

Current arrangements include 50% match funding for eligible training, or fixed contributions for certain health and safety courses. Annual caps vary according to employer size, and some areas such as plant, scaffolding and first aid are treated differently, so businesses should check eligibility before committing expenditure.

CITB’s East of England team also highlights local support including Employer Networks, apprenticeship assistance and Norfolk and Suffolk Skills Bootcamps.

The wider point is important: training budgets should not automatically be planned on the assumption that the employer must pay the full commercial cost of every development activity.

What does this mean for Suffolk and East Anglia?

For employers in Suffolk, this is more than a national workforce statistic.

Major projects such as Sizewell C are creating long-term demand alongside existing construction, civil engineering, utilities, housing, maintenance and infrastructure work throughout the region. All Star Safety already supports contractors and workers around Leiston and the wider East Suffolk area through ⁠local construction training and assessment.

Where several projects compete for the same occupations, waiting until mobilisation to recruit can leave employers competing for a relatively small pool of qualified people.

A stronger approach is to work backwards from the programme.

If a project will need additional supervisors in 12 months, identify potential supervisors now. If additional plant categories will be required, assess the existing workforce. If managers need stronger health and safety knowledge, programmes such as ⁠IOSH Managing Safely can form part of that development before the responsibility arrives.

The training plan then becomes part of workforce planning rather than an exercise carried out only when a card expires or a client refuses site access.

What should you do now?

Contractors planning work over the next 12–36 months should consider adding a simple workforce capability review to their normal business planning:

  • Identify the occupations and supervisory roles required by confirmed and likely projects.
  • Record where shortages already exist.
  • Consider how far workers currently travel and whether that model is sustainable.
  • Identify existing employees capable of progression.
  • Check which roles require additional training, occupational qualifications or supervised experience.
  • Review apprenticeship and new-entrant opportunities where genuine long-term roles exist.
  • Check available CITB grants, Employer Network support and other local funding before booking training.
  • Speak to training providers early enough for courses and assessments to be completed before project mobilisation.
  • Keep competence requirements separate from simple labour availability — particularly for safety-critical roles.

The change highlighted by CITB is gradual rather than dramatic, but the direction is significant. Employers that develop people locally, retain experienced workers and plan competence ahead of project demand are likely to be less exposed when the next major project starts competing for the same workforce.

For contractors reviewing their future skills requirements, All Star Safety can help develop a structured ⁠construction training plan covering the qualifications and development required by the people already within the business.