Farewell as we Cease to Trade on 28th August 2026

27th August 2026

HCTG Member Companies

HCTG – Dissolution of Company

Dear Members,

In April, following the Annual General meeting, the Group Training Officer wrote to all members informing them that the resolution, to wind down the training group, was passed unanimously.

I can now confirm that HCTG will cease operations on Friday 28th August 2026.

HCTG was established in 2002. It is a not-for-profit organisation that received funding and support from CITB to help make construction-related training more accessible and affordable. It is with great sadness that this long-standing association with the Highland construction industry is coming to an end.

During the group’s history, it has consistently championed the training and development of construction employees and worked with other training groups and organisations across the country to lead and develop cost-effective routes to training. We have supported companies of all sizes and, on many occasions, acted as their training department.

Over the lifetime of HCTG, we delivered in excess of 12,000 training days, with recent years averaging around 700 training days annually, in addition to the SHAD and mini-SHAD events that we facilitated. This is an incredible achievement and will leave a significant gap for the CITB to fill.

I have been personally involved with HCTG for around 14 years, and I know that several members have also had long-standing relationships with the group. Over the years, many people have given their time to ensure that the group remained efficient and effective, and I would like to thank everyone who has volunteered for HCTG in any capacity. Without their support, what we achieved would not have been possible.

I would particularly like to thank Debbie Borthwick, who has worked tirelessly over the last six months to ensure the Company has been wound down properly.

I would also like to thank all the training organisations that have supported HCTG over the years, many of whom we have worked with for a very long time. Without your support, none of what we achieved would have been possible.

To our members, I hope we have supported you in the ways you needed and ensured that you received the training required at a cost that was affordable, regardless of the size of your business. Thank you for your unstinting support over the years, and we are sorry that we were unable to find a solution that would allow the Company to continue trading.

Although the actions of CITB ultimately led to the closure of HCTG, we should not overlook the excellent support we received over the years from many CITB Advisers, who helped ensure that we understood the Grants System and how to maximise our return from the Levy.

In April, we advised you that HCTG had cash reserves of approximately £10,000, which needed to be returned through our core operation of delivering training courses. Since 1st April, we have completed:

180 training days, comprising 116 delegates across 46 courses.
On average 36% discount on HCTGs negotiated rates.
2 mini-SHAD events with 80 attendees.
Payment of all VAT, taxes, dissolution fees and related costs.
Closure of the website. Preparation of the final accounts.
Archiving and storage of all training group records.
Donated 12 Emergency First aid training courses to Barnados.

This has left the Group with a surplus of approximately £3,000, which will be donated to the Lighthouse Charity, Mikeysline, Ewans Room and Inverness Boys Brigade as part of our ongoing support to national construction and local charities.

Following the final payment to the Charities, the Company will be dissolved and will cease trading.

Should you have any concerns or questions, please respond to Debbie in the first instance, and the Committee will review these and respond to you directly.

Thank you again for your support.

On behalf of HCTG Board Members

Graham Bell

Chair