The Leeds pipeline
- City-centre homes. The Deloitte Leeds Crane Survey found 20 schemes under construction across the city, including a record 5,970 homes. Another 2,064 started in the survey period and 1,914 student beds were completed. Around 30% of schemes were in the South Bank.
- Dyecoats, Kirkstall Road. Latimer, part of Clarion Housing Group, appointed GRAHAM to a £100m contract for phase one: 434 homes out of a planned 1,799 (Clarion Housing Group).
- Leeds College of Building expansion. The 28 October 2026 Budget included £15m for a new Construction Technical Excellence College building at LCB, which the college says will make room for more than 2,000 extra learners (LCB).
Our read: residential and student towers give steady work for drylining, M&E, glazing, cladding and finishing trades, and need labourers on every package.
Test centres for Leeds
| Centre (Pearson/CITB listing) | Postcode | Finding it (per listing) |
|---|---|---|
| Pearson Professional Centres-UK Leeds, Gallery House, The Headrow | LS1 5RD | Opposite the Henry Moore Institute, Art Gallery and War Memorial |
| Citrus Training Ltd (ITC), John Varley House, Stourton | LS10 1RZ | Not given |
| Pearson Professional Centres-UK Harrogate, 30 Victoria Avenue | HG1 5PR | About seven minutes' walk from Harrogate station |
| Pearson Professional Centres-UK Huddersfield, Ramsden House, New Street | HD1 2TW | Near the Town Hall; enter from New Street |
Citrus Training in Stourton is on CITB's ITC map. CITB takes bookings on 0344 994 4488 and online, and asks you to arrive 15 minutes early with photo ID. Pearson VUE covers the rest of Yorkshire.
Green card checklist
- Level 1 health and safety. Real Site Skills funds the preparation; otherwise it's a short course (CSCS).
- CITB HS&E test (Operatives). £23.50 for 50 questions; 45 is the pass mark (CITB).
- A £36 application in the My CSCS app. The digital card can be used as soon as it's approved (CSCS). Anyone charging more than £36 for the card itself is a middleman (CSCS).
The first Labourer card lasts two years, and the five-year renewal needs an employer to confirm you're still labouring (CSCS). The card isn't a legal requirement, but CSCS says most principal contractors expect it (CSCS FAQs).
Training in Leeds
- Real Site Skills, Forging Futures, Kirkstall Forge (LS5 3NG). Free for West Yorkshire residents aged 16+, with fully funded CSCS green card preparation and a test voucher, plus NPORS and other industry certificates. It's delivered with GRAHAM, Latimer Clarion and Bowmer + Kirkland (Leeds for Learning). Ask Forging Futures when the next intake starts.
- Leeds College of Building. It calls itself the UK's only specialist construction college. The South Bank campus has the brick and roofing workshop and building services courses, and the North Street campus is expanding (LCB). Ask about adult courses and the Level 1 award.
Free places depend on postcode, age and benefits, so check you're eligible before enrolling.
Leeds apprenticeships
LCB trains apprentices in brickwork, roofing, carpentry, electrical and plumbing for employers across the region (LCB). If you have no experience, foundation apprenticeships are designed for you and open to anyone aged 16 to 21 (apprenticeships.gov.uk). Search gov.uk/apply-apprenticeship for Leeds. The government has also announced that apprentices must make up at least 3% of the workforce on large government construction projects, though the details hadn't been confirmed when we checked (Construction News). Our read: Real Site Skills' employer partners are a good first list for apprentice enquiries.
Getting a start with no experience
- Take Real Site Skills or another funded course. Its partner firms are building in Leeds now.
- Register with agencies covering the centre and the ring road. Take your card, right-to-work share code, references and PPE.
- Read the hoardings on the South Bank and Kirkstall Road. Contractor names tell you who to contact.
- Check pay terms. There's no holiday pay when you're self-employed (GOV.UK), and under CIS 20% is withheld, or 30% unregistered (GOV.UK).
- Search Find a Job for small West Yorkshire firms.
Travel to Leeds sites
City-centre and South Bank schemes are close to Leeds station. Dyecoats and Forging Futures are both out along the Kirkstall Road corridor to the west. Out-of-town housing sites often need a car or a lift, so check the journey for a 7am start.
Pay
Using England-wide figures from the National Careers Service, labourers start around £23,000 and reach £35,000 with experience. We found no Leeds-only official figure.
Frequently asked questions
Where do I sit the CSCS test in Leeds?
At Pearson's Leeds centre, Gallery House, 1st Floor, The Headrow, LS1 5RD, opposite the Henry Moore Institute. The entrance is next to Phoenix Martial Art (Pearson VUE). Book through CITB on 0344 994 4488 or online.
Is there free CSCS training in Leeds?
For West Yorkshire residents aged 16+, the Real Site Skills course at Kirkstall Forge is free and includes funded green card preparation and a test voucher (Leeds for Learning).
What is Leeds College of Building?
It describes itself as the UK's only specialist construction college, with campuses on the South Bank and North Street (LCB). The October 2026 Budget gave it £15m for a new building (LCB).
Who is building Dyecoats on Kirkstall Road?
GRAHAM, under a £100m contract from Latimer for the first 434 homes (Clarion Housing Group).
Leeds jobs and projects
South Bank towers show up in planning before they hire. On building-jobs.co.uk you'll find live jobs and upcoming projects in Leeds, plus labouring jobs in Leeds, bricklaying jobs in Leeds and roofing jobs in Leeds.
Accurate as of 30 October 2026. Leeds course intakes change, so check with Forging Futures or LCB first.
How we research these guides: sources, dates and corrections — read the method.