How to get construction work in Liverpool: docks and city

Liverpool schemes to watch

Love Lane, north docks. BDP Construction has been appointed to a £110m, 507-home scheme between the Ten Streets district and the Eldonian Village. In June 2026 the team was working towards building-safety Gateway 2 approval and targeting a Q4 2026 start (Place North West, June 2026).

• Pall Mall, commercial district. VINCI Construction is design-and-build partner to Liverpool City Council and Kier Property. The scheme includes new offices and a 0.5-acre public green space, backed through the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority's £2bn Investment Fund (Insider Media, July 2026).
• Liverpool Waters. Peel Waters' Central Docks neighbourhood hosts the college's Construction Academy at Collingwood Dock, near the new Hill Dickinson Stadium. The college says many current and former students already work on developments across the site (The City of Liverpool College).

Our read: a large residential block and a city-centre office scheme need groundworkers, concrete frame gangs, drylining, M&E and labourers.

Test centres near Liverpool

CITB's ITC map showed no Internet Test Centre with an L postcode, so for anything else book via CITB. The Covent Garden door is through black metal gates near Oriel Chambers, according to Pearson, and NCP Rumford Street is the closest car park. Ring 0344 994 4488 or book on CITB's site, and get there 15 minutes early with ID. Pearson VUE shows open dates.

What a green card needs

If you're not on the funded course, you'll need the Level 1 award (CSCS) and a pass in CITB's £23.50 Operatives test (CITB). Booking through third-party sites often costs more. The card is then £36 through the app (CSCS).

Merseyside main contractors will usually want to see it, even though CSCS says no law requires it (CSCS FAQs). Renewal after two years needs your employer's confirmation (CSCS).

Free and college training in Liverpool

Complete Skills Solutions' free 10-day course, funded by the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority (Complete Skills Solutions):

• Content: basic bricklaying, health and safety, and asbestos and environmental awareness.
• Qualifications: Level 1 awards in bricklaying, recycling and waste management, and health and safety in a construction environment.
• Card: the provider books your test. Attend all 10 days and pass, and you get a CSCS green card.
• Afterwards: the chance of a work placement on a Vistry site.
• Who can apply: people aged 19+ living in the city region with no previous construction qualifications, who are on UC, JSA, ESA or Income Support, or earn under £35,864.40.

The City of Liverpool College, Construction Academy at Liverpool Waters (Collingwood Dock, Regent Road). Learners build and rebuild a real house rather than a simulation. The college has invested £1m in clean-energy training there, on top of the heat pump facilities at Vauxhall Road (The City of Liverpool College). Ring 0151 252 3000 about adult and part-time courses.

Merseyside apprenticeships

The college says its partnership with Peel Waters goes back over fifteen years, and that as Liverpool Waters grows, so does the pipeline of apprenticeships and jobs (The City of Liverpool College), so ask which employers are recruiting. Foundation apprenticeships are designed for people with no experience and open to anyone aged 16 to 21 (apprenticeships.gov.uk). Search gov.uk/apply-apprenticeship for Liverpool and Merseyside. The government has also announced a minimum of 3% apprentices on large government construction projects, with details still to be confirmed when we checked (Construction News).

No experience? Start here

1. Do the free 10-day course if you're eligible. You only get the card if you attend every day.
2. Find out who has the subcontract packages at Love Lane and Pall Mall, such as groundworks, frame and fit-out, and ask them about labouring.
3. Register with Merseyside agencies, taking your card, right-to-work share code, references and PPE. Ask whether travel is paid.
4. Ask about deductions. CIS subcontractors lose 20% to tax up front, or 30% if not registered (GOV.UK), and there's no holiday pay when self-employed (GOV.UK).
5. Look on Find a Job for Merseyside builders.

Getting to Liverpool sites

The college says the Construction Academy can be reached by train from Sandhills or Moorfields, or by bus along Regent Road or Vauxhall Road (The City of Liverpool College). Love Lane is in the same north docks area, and Pall Mall is in the commercial district. Check the first Merseyrail train or bus before agreeing to a 7am start.

Pay

Liverpool-specific official data wasn't available. England-wide, a labourer earns £23,000 to £35,000 a year on 40 to 44 hours, according to the National Careers Service.

Frequently asked questions

Can I get my green card free in Liverpool?

Yes, if you're eligible. Complete Skills Solutions' 10-day course for city region residents aged 19+ on benefits or a low wage includes the Level 1 award and a booked test. You get a green card if you attend every day and pass (Complete Skills Solutions).

Which Liverpool address is the CITB test at?

Pearson's centre is on the lower ground floor at 5 Covent Garden, L2 8UD, opposite the rear entrance to James Street station (Pearson VUE).

Where is the Construction Academy at Liverpool Waters?

At Collingwood Dock, Regent Road, near the Hill Dickinson Stadium. It's reachable from Sandhills or Moorfields (The City of Liverpool College).

Who is building Love Lane?

BDP Construction, appointed to the £110m, 507-home scheme (Place North West).

Liverpool jobs and projects

Dock schemes show up in planning before hiring starts. building-jobs.co.uk lists Liverpool's live jobs and upcoming projects, and you can also browse labouring jobs in Liverpool, bricklaying jobs in Liverpool and electrical jobs in Liverpool.

Checked on 30 October 2026. Merseyside funding and site start dates move, so speak to the provider first.