The full list of 26 winners is light on contractors with only Kier and Keepmoat operating schemes direct.

Cash allocated through the Construction Skills Fund will train more than 17,000 people to be job and site-ready by March 2020.

Education Secretary Damian Hinds said: “It is vital that we have a strong workforce post-Brexit.

“The Construction Skills Fund will ensure more people gain the skills they need to forge a successful career and help create the skilled workers we need to deliver on our housing ambitions.”

All the ‘hubs’ will be based at live construction sites so trainees learn in a real-world construction environment and gain practical skills.

Minister of State for Housing Kit Malthouse said: “Our Construction Skills Fund will play a crucial role in training the future labourers required to build more, better and faster homes.”

Funding winner Graham Ratcliffe, Managing Director of Northern Regeneration CIC, said: “The funds will allow us to further enhance our current on-site delivery model at the Construction Skills Village.

“This will provide a once in a lifetime opportunity for individuals to gain industry recognised skills which will support them into a career in construction”

Sarah Beale, Chief Executive of CITB, said: “The Construction Skills Fund can be a genuine game-changer for both the construction industry and the individuals being trained.

“We have a massive need for homegrown talent and these projects will bring thousands of new people into our sector, giving them the crucial onsite experience they need to start a career in construction.

“These 26 hubs will be based at some of the most innovative sites in the UK, and CITB will be working hard to make sure they deliver the skills our industry critically needs.”