New CITB funding opportunity following research into Immersive Learning

The Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) has £1.5m in funding available to employers who can demonstrate how immersive learning can enhance construction training.

The application window  opens today January 9 for 11 weeks and funding is available for multiple projects led by eligible companies in partnership with training and technology experts.

The commission comes as a result of recommendations made in A New Reality: Immersive Learning in Construction, a CITB report published in September last year. The research led to a series of recommendations to encourage adoption of immersive technologies by the industry and CITB is responding to one of the key recommendations by funding a series of innovative immersive projects.

The aim of the commission is to address common skills and training issues through the development of sustainable immersive learning solutions. CITB will work with commissioned projects to develop and share best-practice guidance for the industry, to foster widespread adoption of immersive learning methods. 

Ben Lever, Future Skills and Innovation Lead at CITB, said: “Our research shows that the use of digital technologies like virtual and augmented reality in construction training can produce workers with greater ability and help modernise the industry. At a time where the industry is facing challenges to its workforce, it’s vital that we invest in immersive learning, so I’m really proud to see CITB funding leading the way.”

Since the research was published, other reports have picked up on the opportunities offered by immersive learning, particularly in attracting future talent, including Mace’s report 'Moving to Industry 4.0' and the 'Future of Work' commission.