The Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) is a prominent body in UK construction. Its role is to oversee and enhance skills development across the sector with the goal of improving safety standards, enhancing environmental awareness and fostering professional growth.
The focus is on providing individuals and companies with knowledge and resources to improve construction practices, particularly around sustainability and safety. CITB courses are designed to meet these objectives, such as the Site Environmental Awareness Training Scheme (SEATS), which focuses on environmental issues.
What is the Site Environmental Awareness Training Scheme (SEATS)?
The Site Environmental Awareness Training scheme is one of the CITB’s key courses aimed at construction professionals wishing to strengthen their understanding of environmental management and sustainability in construction.
By raising awareness of environmental issues, the aim of SEATS is to minimise the industry’s impact on the environment and facilitate compliance with current regulations.
Who is SEATS Designed For?
The CITB SEATS course is perfect for anyone in a leadership role in construction. It equips these individuals with the knowledge they need to ensure their sites adhere to environmental legislation and best practices. However, it can help deepen knowledge around environmental responsibilities for:
- Site managers.
- Supervisors.
- Workers.
What is a CITB SEATS Course?
The CITB SEATS is a one-day training programme. The training revolves around:
- Environmental legislation.
- Policies.
- Management systems.
Learners will gain essential knowledge to reduce their site’s environmental impact to improve their compliance with environmental regulation whilst promoting sustainable practices. The design of the course makes it accessible for a range of construction professionals, from site workers right up to managers.
One of the primary goals of SEATS is to make construction sites more environmentally-friendly by ensuring participants understand the risks, challenges, and opportunities relating to sustainability. You will learn about everything from waste management to energy efficiency and conserving resources, with guidance on compliance with the latest environmental standards.
What Does the CITB SEATS Course Involve?
The CITB SEATS course covers a wide range of topics that are designed to ensure participants gain a thorough understanding of environmental management in construction.
Key Areas of Study in SEATS
Here are the key things you will learn in a CITB SEATS course:
- Environmental Management Systems: Learn about principles and application of environmental management systems for monitoring and controlling environmental impact on construction sites.
- Sustainability and Waste Management: This course explores the importance of sustainability in construction, highlighting ways to reduce waste through effective management.
- Pollution Control: Gain an understanding of how to prevent various forms of pollution that are common on construction sites.
- Ecological Considerations: Attendees are educated on the potential impact of construction on local ecosystems, with strategies to minimise harm to wildlife and habitats.
- Energy and Resource Efficiency: The importance of energy conservation and using resources efficiently are central themes.
- Legislation and Compliance: Participants get an overview of key environmental regulations to help understand their legal responsibilities relating to the environment.
Each of these topics helps participants get knowledge they can put into practice to improve their site’s environmental performance
How is CITB SEATS Training Delivered?
CITB SEATS training can be delivered in a variety of ways, accommodating different learning preferences and schedules. Generally speaking, providers offer both in-house and remote learning options:
- In-house: Companies can host their training session on-site, which makes it more accessible for larger groups of employees. This is a popular choice for organisations that want to tailor the learning experience to a specific site.
- Remote: Many training providers offer the course via live online sessions. This can be a good fit for people who need flexibility or cannot travel. The same high-quality instruction is delivered, and training covers the same topics for a consistent learning experience.
Here at PIP services, we offer both in-house and remote CITB SEATS courses. You can book a date that works for you on our CITB SEATS course page.
How is the CITB SEATS Course Assessed?
Assessment for the CITB SEATS course is carried out via a test at the end of the day. Participants are required to pass this test to receive their certification, which will be the proof that they have gained the necessary environmental knowledge to apply to their construction sites.
The test is usually made up of multiple-choice questions that cover the key topics discussed in the course. The goal is to verify that participants have engaged with the training and gained knowledge that they can apply. If a participant fails the assessment, they will usually get an opportunity to retake the test.
How Long Does a CITB SEATS Certificate Last?
Once you have completed the CITB SEATS course, you will receive a certificate that remains valid for 5 years. Since the certification is all about demonstrating up-to-date knowledge of environmental issues and legislation, and these things are subject to change, the course must be updated after 5 years.
Why Complete the CITB SEATS Course?
There are several primary benefits of completing the CITB SEATS course. Here are the main ones:
- Legal Compliance: The course gives participants a thorough breakdown of the key legal requirements about environmental management in construction, so companies can avoid fines or other legal complications.
- Environmental Responsibility: By understanding the impact of construction on local wildlife, habitats, and the wider environment, participants are prepared to make better decisions to reduce waste, pollution and harm to natural resources.
- Enhanced Professional Skills: The CITB SEATS certification can boost your career prospects as a site manager or supervisor as environmental awareness is important.
- Improved Site Efficiency: The course encourages you to adopt sustainable practices that can lead to cost savings and more efficient use of resources on construction sites.
Is There Funding for the CITB SEATS Course?
Companies registered with the CITB can apply for funding to help cover the cost of the SEATS course. This financial assistance can make it more accessible for employers, ensuring their staff get valuable environmental training to improve compliance and sustainability practices.
Employers can check their eligibility for CITB funding and submit claims for grants through the CITB website or via their training provider.
Rolled out as part of the CITB Employer Network in 2024, eligible employers can now put their employees through CITB training and pay only 30% of the cost, with CITB funding the remaining 70%. Get in touch to learn more about this new initiative.
Why choose PIP Services for your construction training and certification?
We’re an accredited CITB training provider as well as a ProQual approved NVQ centre.
We specialise in delivering CITB SEATS courses as well as a wide range of other CITB training. We also offer construction related NVQs from Level 1 to Level 7, covering trades such as bricklaying, plastering and tiling all the way up to senior management qualification such as the Level 7 NVQ Diploma in Construction Senior Management.
Since launching in 2005 we have rapidly progressed with thousands of clients coming through our training centre in the heart of Dagenham each year, as well as providing online options where available. We have helped countless people advance their career in construction and hope to do the same for you.
If you would like to speak to us about your construction training needs, please get in touch using the button below.
What Our Customers Say
We are rated 4.9/5 on Trustpilot and you can read all our reviews here.
“I've just completed SEATS Environmental training. There was a lot of ground to cover in a one day course but the instructor (Ricky) worked at a good pace, was clear and concise and I felt well prepared going into the final exam. The course workbook was excellent and will be useful not just for the exam but for future reference.”
Trustpilot | 7th May 2024 | Five Stars
"Ricky is an excellent tutor who knows how to help his students pass there courses. He condenses coursework, simplifying the HSE publication into clearly presented and relevant information. This saves time preparing for the examination."
Trustpilot | 5th April 2024 | Five Stars