The Highways and Construction Training Association was formed in 1991 to promote a uniform and high quality training and assessment service to the construction industry and, in particular to the highways sector.

The Aims of the Association are:

• To provide a forum for the formulation and discussion of performance/assessment standards for persons involved in construction, maintenance and associated activities.
• To provide a forum for the development and delivery of effective training programmes to meet the needs of persons involved in construction, maintenance and associated activities.
• To provide means by which these performance/assessment standards and training programmes can be accepted, adopted and developed.
• To influence national policies on training and development issues.
• To generate ideas for improving performance, quality, safety and compliance with environmental standards.
• To stimulate interest in performance quality, safety and the environment.
• To advise members on performance, quality, safety and environmental training and assessment issues.
• To provide information for the discussion and development of training and assessment programmes for performance, quality, safety and environmental considerations.
• To continuously audit, review and update advice.

Members of the Association range from large multi-disciplined training centres based at purpose built training facilities to individual specialist trainers working within public or private sector organisations , or as sole traders.

The members joined forces in recognition of the need to provide a flexible, cost-effective and nationally co-ordinated approach to the delivery of a developing range of industry qualifications. These include Vocational and National Vocational Qualifications and training/assessment and registration schemes to meet the requirements of quality assurance.

In addition to the traditional construction skills members are able to arrange or provide training and assessment services for National Vocational Qualifications such as Highway Maintenance and Road Building and for Vocational Qualifications such as City and Guilds 6156 - New Roads and Street Works Act (and CABWI)
and 6159-Winter Service Operations. Most will also deliver the TDLB awards in training and development and in assessment. Some have developed packages in conjunction with national bodies in areas such as Street Lighting and Environmental Services.

Some centres and providers are registered with bodies such as Lantra Awards Accreditation Service (LAAS) or LGNTO to provide training and assessment services for the registration of individuals as required by various QA Sector Schemes such as Safety Fence Erection, Road Marking and Traffic Management.

The Association is represented on various national bodies such as the DLO Mechanical Services & Training Group of The County Surveyors Society Engineering Services, the Road Marking and Studding Management and Sector Scheme Committees, the Vehicle Safety Fence and the Traffic Management Sector Scheme Committees and their training sub-groups and on a variety of VQ and NVQ development groups at all levels.

The Association and its members are committed to assisting in the development of a fully skilled work force.

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