We’ve got a great line-up of events over the coming months and we’d love to see you there. These are open to all HCTG members, so get booked in and bring along your team where relevant.

🛠 Mini SHAD – Respiratory Protection with 3M
Thursday 7th August 2025
9.30am – 11.00am
📍 Fairways Golf Club, Inverness, IV2 6AA
An essential refresher on respiratory protection, ideal for managers, supervisors and operatives.

⚖️ Mini SHAD – Construction Mock Trial with DAS Beachcroft
Thursday 2nd October 2025
9.30am – 11.30am
📍 Culloden-Balloch Baptist Church, Wellside Rd, Balloch, Inverness IV2 7GS
Get an inside look at what happens when safety processes go wrong. A must for managers, supervisors and directors.

🎄 Christmas Lunch
Thursday 4th December 2025
11.30am – 2.00pm
📍 Fairways Golf Club and Restaurant, Inverness, IV2 6AA
Join us for a relaxed buffet lunch to celebrate the year and connect with other members.

👉 To book your place or find out more, contact Debbie at info@hctg.net
We look forward to seeing you at one (or all!) of these events.

CITB are holding a Skills and Training Conference on 28th August 2025 in Perth.

This event is open to Employers and Training Providers – for more information and how to book your place click – https://skillsscotland.citbevents.co.uk/home#home

HCTG were delighted to welcome Brogan from Mikeysline to present on Mental Health and Wellbeing at our recent Mini Shad event.

Mikeysline do such important work in the local area and it was great to hear the support they can offer.

We’re really pleased to invite you along to our next MINI Shad event, taking place on Thursday 5th June at Fairways Golf Club, Inverness, from 9.30am to 11am.

This session will focus on Mental Health and Wellbeing, with a talk delivered by the brilliant team at Mikeysline. It’s open to all member companies and their employees, so please do feel free to share the invite within your workplace.

If you’d like to join us, you can book your spot here: https://forms.office.com/e/QPP9jQ3fMg

Looking forward to seeing you there

At Simpson Builders, we’re more than just passionate about construction – we’re passionate about the people who make it all happen. That’s why we’re proud to support The Lighthouse Charity, an incredible organisation dedicated to helping those in the construction industry who are struggling with mental health and emotional wellbeing.
To support this vital cause, we’re thrilled to invite you to the first-ever North Highland Shin-Dig – and we want you to be a part of it!
📅 Date: Saturday, 25th October 2025
📍 Location: Drumossie Hotel, Inverness
🎟 Cost: £110 per person – includes a welcome drink and table wine
💌 Contact: winnie@simpsonbuilders.co.uk for tickets, table bookings, and info

What to Expect:
A fantastic evening of celebration and community
Delicious food and drinks
A lively ceilidh and entertainment
And most importantly — the chance to make a real impact on lives in the construction community

Support That Goes Further:
We’re also hosting an auction on the night to raise additional funds for The Lighthouse Charity. If you’re able to donate a prize — big or small — we would be truly grateful. Whether it’s a gift voucher, unique experience, or something one-of-a-kind, every item helps us go further in supporting this important mission.

Let’s Make This a Night to Remember
Whether you’re attending with colleagues, friends, or family, this event promises to be something special. So, mark your calendars, dust off your dancing shoes, and join us in making a difference!
🎟 Tickets are available now – don’t miss out!
Reach out to Winnie Munro at winnie@simpsonbuilders.co.uk to secure your place or to offer an auction prize.
Together, we can shine a light where it’s needed most. 💛

From Disclosure Scotland regarding works in hospitals where contractor staff could come into contact with ‘children or vulnerable adults’.

From the 1^st April 2025 the Disclosure Scotland Act 2020 will bring with it changes to the legislation that provides for PVG Membership when carrying out a regulated role in Scotland with Children and Protected Adults.

These changes don’t take effect until the 1^st April.

One major change is in the area you refer to in your enquiry – it will now be a requirement when working in certain named locations one of which is a Hospital setting for individuals who when in the named location will have the opportunity of unsupervised contact with children or protected adults.Disclosure Scotland

So yes from the 1^st April and only from the 1^st April you will be required by law to have anyone who works in a Hospital and has the opportunity for unsupervised contact when doing so to be in the PVG Scheme.

Applications cannot be submitted until the 1^st April.

If you have individuals working in a hospital at the moment which is not a Children’s Hospital those individuals won’t be eligible for PVG until the law changes on the 1^st April.

Highland Construction Training Group are currently preparing tender documentation for the provision of construction training courses.

Experienced Training Companies, who wish to be considered for the tender, are asked to express an interest via our email info@hctg.net before 12:00 noon on Friday 28th February 2025.

The expression of interest should provide a one page summary of the Companies training experience which will be assessed to create a final tender list.

Tender documents will be issued in March 2025 and are required back by the Friday 25th April 2025.

CITB is providing extra funding for a limited period from January to the end of March to test fully funding future skills training. This includes Leadership and Management, Digital Skills, Net Zero and Green Skills.  

Training must be completed by the 31^st March in order to qualify for full funding.

Employer Network future skills (PDF, 119KB) contains more information on the types of courses that could be included.

Speak to your local Training Group to find out what’s available in your area. Don’t miss out on fully funded future skills training this winter.

As we approach the final quarter of 2024, Highland Construction Training Group (HCTG) is proud to reflect on a year of achievements. Serving the construction training needs of the Highlands and Islands of Scotland, we’ve surpassed many of our targets with three months still to go. These accomplishments are a testament to the commitment of our members, the skill of our training providers, and the demand for high-quality training across the sector.

Hitting—and Exceeding—Key Milestones
1. Training Days Delivered to Small Companies
One of our primary goals this year was to ensure small construction companies had access to relevant, impactful training. The target for the year was set at 100 training days—a figure we’ve already exceeded with a total of 181 training days delivered by the end of Q3. This remarkable progress highlights the appetite for skill development and the critical role training plays in supporting these businesses.
72% of members have accessed training group support to date saving a combined total of £14k to date on the cost of courses alone.
2. Supporting Micro-Companies
Although micro-companies often face barriers to accessing training, HCTG has worked diligently to offer flexible and targeted programmes. By the end of September, we had delivered 15 training days, and while the target of 25 days may seem ambitious, our trajectory shows we are on track to meet—or exceed—it.
3. Continuous Growth Across the Year
Our quarterly analysis shows consistent growth. For example:
Q1: Training days focused heavily on foundational skills, catering to smaller groups with 188 training days delivered.
Q2: We saw steady demand in quarter 2 with 180 training days.
Q3: Continued steady performance, with a total of 109 training days delivered to date.

SHAD Bitesize
We delivered two SHAD Bitesize events to our members on Behavioural Safety and Knife Safety.  We look to deliver more of these mini events next year.  If you have ideas for topics get in touch.

Why These Achievements Matter
In the Highlands, where construction companies often operate in remote locations and face unique challenges, training isn’t just a box-ticking exercise—it’s an essential part of building resilient businesses. Our work supports companies in:
Meeting safety and compliance standards: Ensuring teams are equipped to handle site challenges safely and effectively.
Improving productivity: Upskilling workers to enhance efficiency and project outcomes.
Retaining local talent: Offering professional development that encourages individuals to build careers in the Highlands rather than seeking opportunities elsewhere.

The People Behind the Numbers
None of these achievements would be possible without the people at the heart of HCTG:
Our Training providers: Drawing on decades of experience in the industry, our trainers deliver practical, hands-on learning tailored to real-world challenges.
Our Members: From small family-run firms to larger contractors, the commitment of our member companies to upskill their workforce drives everything we do.
Our Board of Directors: A voluntary commitment from local employers to help run HCTG, bringing fresh ideas and new initiatives to members

Looking Ahead to a Strong Finish
We’re confident that the final quarter will further underscore 2024 as a great year for HCTG. By continuing to prioritise the needs of construction companies in the Highlands, we aim to build not just skills but a stronger, more resilient industry for years to come.

Join Us in Shaping the Future
Whether you’re a member of HCTG or considering joining, we invite you to be part of our journey. Let’s work together to achieve even greater success in the coming months.
Visit HCTG to explore our training programmes and discover how we can support your company’s growth.

Proudly Supporting Scotland’s Construction Industry. Together, we build the future.