Birmingham's main construction projects
- HS2 Curzon Street station (Eastside and Digbeth). Mace Dragados is building the terminus. In June 2026 crews began lifting the first of more than 556 precast beams for the deck that will carry seven platforms, after more than 2,000 piles went in. At peak, more than 1,000 people are expected on the project, directly and through the supply chain (New Civil Engineer). Our read: that means concrete, formwork, steel-fixing, plant and crane operators, plus labourers and traffic marshals.
- Digbeth, 481 homes. Clarion's development arm Latimer signed a main contract worth more than £112m with Winvic for a mixed-tenure scheme on a 1.3-acre site in central Digbeth. PJ Careys has the demolition contract (World Construction Network).
Construction at the Digbeth site was scheduled to begin in October 2026 (World Construction Network).
- The busiest city centre in five years. Deloitte's regional crane surveys recorded 23 new starts in Birmingham in 2025 (up from 11), 40 developments under way, 6,822 homes being built and a record 4,594 homes completed. Refurbishments were 73% of office floorspace under construction.
CITB test centres around Birmingham
| Centre (Pearson/CITB listing) | Postcode | How to find it (per listing) |
|---|---|---|
| Pearson Professional Centres-UK Birmingham, 154-155 Great Charles Street | B3 3LP | Corner of Great Charles Street and Paradise Circus |
| Pearson Professional Centres-UK Sutton Coldfield, 31-33 Birmingham Road | B72 1QE | Sutton Coldfield station (Cross City line) |
| Pearson Professional Centres-UK Dudley, Trafalgar House | DY2 8PS | About 500m from Dudley bus station |
| RMF Construction Services Limited (ITC), Oughton Road, Highgate | B12 0DF | Not given |
The RMF row is from CITB's Internet Test Centre map. Pearson's Dudley listing noted that its disabled access was out of order when we checked, so call ahead if you need it. Search all West Midlands centres on Pearson VUE's CITB finder.
Plenty of reseller sites rank for "CSCS test centre Birmingham". Booking direct with CITB online or on 0344 994 4488 costs the official fee (CITB booking).
What you need for a CSCS card in Birmingham
Most HS2 and tower-crane sites will treat the card as essential, though CSCS confirms it isn't a legal requirement (CSCS FAQs). For the green Labourer card, CSCS asks for the Level 1 Award in Health and Safety in a Construction Environment (CSCS). You also need a pass in the CITB Operatives test, which costs £23.50 for 50 questions in 45 minutes (CITB). The card is then £36 through the My CSCS app, and you can use the digital version once approved (CSCS). It lasts two years, and you'll need an employer declaration to renew it. CSCS warns about third-party sites that charge well above £36 (CSCS).
Free construction courses in Birmingham
- WMCA Sector-based Work Academy Programmes (SWAPs). Fully funded for West Midlands adults aged 19+ on unemployment benefits. They last up to six weeks, include construction, and come with a work placement and a guaranteed interview or help applying. You keep your benefit while you train (WMCA).
- WMCA Skills Bootcamps. Up to 16 weeks, also fully funded for eligible West Midlands adults (same WMCA page).
- South & City College Birmingham, Bordesley Green. The campus has a dedicated on-site construction centre, with study from GCSEs and T Levels up to access to higher education. Ask admissions which adult construction courses are running (SCCB).
- Birmingham Metropolitan College, Erdington Skills Centre. Its Level 1 Construction Gateway Diploma covers bricklaying, plastering, carpentry and property maintenance for 16 to 18-year-olds (BMet).
Apprenticeships on Birmingham sites
HS2 posts supply-chain vacancies, including entry-level roles, on its own jobs board. Check it alongside the careers pages of Mace, Dragados and Winvic. If you're 16 to 18, BMet's Erdington gateway diploma is a stepping stone into a trade apprenticeship. Search Find an apprenticeship by Birmingham postcode for live vacancies. The government has also announced that apprentices must make up at least 3% of the workforce on large government construction projects, though the detail wasn't confirmed when we checked (Construction News).
No experience? A Birmingham plan
- Claiming benefits? Do a SWAP. The guaranteed interview is the main prize.
- Know your travel. New Street, Moor Street and the tram make the city-centre sites easy to reach. Curzon Street sits between Moor Street station and Millennium Point, and Digbeth is next door. A 7am start on an estate in the Black Country is a different job without a car, so ask where the site is.
- Register with agencies that supply infrastructure work. Take your card, right-to-work share code, two references and your own PPE.
- Check the pay basis. CIS means 20% deducted from each payment (30% if unregistered) (GOV.UK), and no holiday pay if you're self-employed (GOV.UK).
- Look on the government's Find a Job service, where small Black Country builders who skip the big boards often post.
Getting to sites in Birmingham
Pearson's Great Charles Street centre is next to University College Birmingham, with its own entrance signed 155 Great Charles Street. Pearson says there are no waiting facilities for anyone who comes with you (Pearson VUE). The Bordesley Green and Erdington colleges are outside the centre, so check the bus before you enrol. Wider West Midlands housing work is often on edge-of-town estates where a car or a lift from a workmate helps.
Pay benchmarks
The National Careers Service range for a construction labourer in England is £23,000 to £35,000 a year, on 40 to 44 hours a week (National Careers Service). We found no official Birmingham-specific figure, so treat agency day rates as offers to compare.
Frequently asked questions
Where can I take the CSCS test in Birmingham?
Pearson's city-centre centre is at 154-155 Great Charles Street, B3 3LP, near Paradise Circus (Pearson VUE). Sutton Coldfield and Dudley are the next closest Pearson centres. Book through CITB to pay the official £23.50.
How many people will work on HS2 Curzon Street?
More than 1,000 at the peak, directly and through Mace Dragados's UK supply chain (New Civil Engineer). Vacancies are posted on HS2's supply-chain jobs board.
Is there funded site training in Birmingham?
West Midlands adults aged 19+ can get fully funded SWAPs and Skills Bootcamps through WMCA. SWAPs are for people on unemployment benefits and include a placement plus a guaranteed interview or help applying (WMCA).
Will Birmingham sites let me on without a card?
Rarely. CSCS says the card isn't a legal requirement but most principal contractors and major housebuilders ask for it (CSCS FAQs). Assume HS2 and city-centre schemes will check at induction.
Follow Birmingham's pipeline
Digbeth and Curzon Street were contract news long before the trade jobs appeared. To catch the next ones, see live construction jobs and upcoming projects in Birmingham on building-jobs.co.uk, or browse labouring jobs in Birmingham, groundworks jobs in Birmingham and concrete jobs in Birmingham.
Information checked on 30 October 2026. WMCA funding rules and HS2 vacancies change, so confirm with the provider before you sign up.
How we research these guides: sources, dates and corrections — read the method.