Leeds College of Building Welcomes New Director of CTEC

Leeds College of Building (LCB) has announced Natalie Dodds as its new Director of CTEC (Construction Technical Excellence Colleges). She takes up the role after serving as Director of Campus at Rotherham College.

Natalie played a significant leadership role in driving quality, curriculum development, and strategic growth at the college, which is part of the RNN Group. 

She is the current Chair of the Yorkshire and Humber British Association of Construction Heads (BACH) and previously held the role of Academy Director for Building Technologies at The Sheffield College.

Throughout her career, Natalie has built an impressive track record of collaborating with Combined Authorities, governance boards, industry partners and government departments to deliver strategic priorities and positive outcomes for learners and employers.

Rob Holmes, LCB Vice Principal, said:

“Natalie’s extensive leadership experience across further education and construction-related provision, together with her strong regional and national networks, make her exceptionally well placed to lead the next phase of CTEC’s development. 

“As we move from planning into delivery, her expertise, vision and ability to build effective partnerships will be instrumental in ensuring CTEC fulfils its ambition for both Leeds College of Building and the wider Yorkshire and Humber region.

“I am confident that Natalie will be a tremendous asset to the College and to CTEC as we enter this exciting new stage of implementation and growth.”

LCB was one of the first ever colleges to be named a CTEC – a new government designation for specialist FE institutions that are working to boost construction skills and support the delivery of 1.5 million homes, major infrastructure projects and the transition to net zero.

Only 10 colleges across England were given the status in the 2025/2026 academic year, with LCB selected to represent Yorkshire & the Humber region. Ministers say CTECs will train up to 40,000 people by 2029 in high-demand trades such as bricklaying, carpentry, roofing and electrical work.

Natalie added: 

“This is an exciting opportunity to work on a government initiative at a regional level, so the work that we do with CTEC will impact not just students of Sheffield or Rotherham or Leeds, but the entirety of Yorkshire. 

“Over the last three years I have worked on building relationships with other colleges through my work with the British Association of Construction Heads, so this role just felt right for me. 

“I said in my interview that although my contract sits with LCB, I am working for all the construction departments in the region, and that really excites me.”

Natalie joins the college at an exciting time. LCB recently launched the new regional CTEC network at the Royal Armouries Museum. Following a year of planning and collaboration, LCB and its network of 22 ‘spoke’ college partners unveiled the CTEC regional delivery plans at the event.

The shared vision aims to break down barriers and target underrepresented groups to help more young people start careers in construction while supporting existing workers to develop new skills and progress in the industry.

Planning permission has also been submitted to create a state-of-the-art CTEC construction training facility in Leeds. The college acquired the site next to its North Street Campus last November and is now preparing to transform it into a new CTEC building to help meet growing demand for skilled construction and built environment professionals across the region.

The 7,000m² CTEC building will effectively increase the size of the LCB estate by a third, marking a significant investment in the college’s future growth. The repurposed building will house a combination of workshops for hands-on training, classrooms, and amenity areas for students and staff.