Unlocking our full potential: talent development in project controls

We’ve upskilled our people to help address a critical skills gap in the nuclear industry. 

Partnering with 20/20 Business Insight, Costain is developing its people to achieve the Engineering Construction Industry Training Board (ECITB) Certificate in Project Controls, a comprehensive training programme designed for new or junior professionals working in engineering or construction.

The module has enabled Costain to continue to provide skilled people to deliver best-in-class project controls services to EDF, a trusted, long-term partnership since 2017 which was recently extended until 2030.

More than 80 learners have now completed the cohort, including a Costain employee who transitioned from his career owning a bakery business. Read on to hear his story.

What is project controls?

Project controls are structured processes, tools, and techniques used to monitor, measure, and manage a project’s performance to ensure it stays on schedule, within budget, and meets quality standards. They are essential in the delivery of complex, high-security nuclear energy projects.

Servicing Costain's project controls framework with EDF

Costain’s framework with EDF demanded a strong, reliable pipeline of project controls professionals and set out to build high-quality project controls capacity from within.

To service the framework, Costain has drawn on early careers professionals, people working on projects in its other infrastructure sectors, as well as those from a non-engineering or construction background.

The project controls module

Costain and 20/20 have co-created a development programme available through the ECITB that develops both technical expertise in project controls and the behavioural competencies required for success in a complex nuclear environment. 

It includes structured classroom learning with genuine project work, ensuring learners develop practical skills in planning, cost control, estimating, and risk management.

The programme lasts for nine months and participants are able to ‘earn and learn’ by having dedicated time to study alongside their existing roles, with Costain covering the cost of studying.

The benefits of the module

The module has provided benefits for Costain, EDF and, most importantly, the learners:

• For learners, it provides external validation and industry recognition, providing a qualification that is recognised and valued across the nuclear sector and broader infrastructure ecosystem.
• It is also empowering learners to progress their careers, contribute to national infrastructure, and help address one of the nuclear sector’s most pressing skills challenges.
• For Costain and EDF, it has enabled the creation of a scalable and sustainable pipeline of skilled project controls professionals, supporting the delivery of critical nuclear projects with increased assurance and efficiency.

The programme is now into its tenth cohort, with 81 learners having completed the programme, and numbers are growing year-on-year.

77% of learners have continued to work on the project controls framework for Costain, a figure that rises to approximately 90% to include those now working on the framework for EDF. The retention rate exceeds industry norms and demonstrates the programme’s effectiveness in developing and retaining skilled professionals.

42% of the completed cohort is female, exceeding industry averages and ensuring the module is helping to create a more inclusive and representative workforce.

Meet Charlie Johnson – baker turned engineer

Charlie Johnson is a Junior Planning Engineer helping to deliver project controls services to EDF at its Torness power station in East Lothian, Scotland. 

The programme has helped Charlie transition from his career owning a successful bakery in Scotland. Having recently been promoted, Charlie explains how and why he made the career switch:

"Running a small business was both rewarding and demanding. By early 2024, the bakery was stable enough for me to step back, and after a decade in the third sector, I felt ready for a new challenge. When I heard about the Trainee Planning Engineer role at Torness, it immediately stood out as an opportunity to apply my skills in a new context.

“Although I was new to Planning and Project Controls, I brought a range of transferable skills from running a business: staff management, cost control, scheduling, customer service and operational planning. These have given me a solid foundation and helped me make the most of training and development opportunities that were available to me as a trainee."

"When I heard about the Planning Engineer role, it immediately stood out as an opportunity to apply my skills in a new context.

Although I was new to planning and project controls, I brought a range of transferable skills from running a bakery business. These have helped me make the most of the training and development opportunities at Costain."

Charlie Johnson Junior Planning Engineer at Costain

“ECITB courses have provided us with the ability to develop and grow our project controls capability within EDF in a flexible and consistent manner. This has benefited the organisation by enhancing the service we provide, providing greater insights on delivery and retaining capability within the organisation.”

John Moir Project Controls Group Head at EDF

Tom Vincent, CEO at 20/20 Project Management, said: “For more than eight years, we’ve worked side by side with Costain to shape and evolve a programme that supports the growth of their project controls professionals. 

“This programme has enabled participants to develop strong technical capability alongside genuine confidence, equipping them to perform effectively within the EDF framework. It’s a long-standing partnership built on a shared commitment to developing people and raising standards across the profession, and we’re incredibly proud at 20/20 to have supported that journey.”

What’s next – supporting digital transformation

The partnership is evolving to meet emerging needs and opportunities, with the recent five-year extension to Costain’s contract providing stability to refine and scale the model further.

Plans include the addition of advanced modules in digital project controls, data analytics, and leadership - skills increasingly critical as the sector embraces digital transformation. It will also help to create a clear talent pipeline from entry level to senior project controls leadership roles.

The initiative was also recognised in the Best Employer & Training Provider Partnership Award at the National Skills Academy for Nuclear (NSAN) awards.

Want to become a project controls professional?

Find out more about the opportunities available at Costain by contacting [email protected] or [email protected].

How Costain supports professional development and career mobility

The partnership is Costain’s commitment in action to developing its people to unlock their full potential and build skills for the future, whether that’s through early careers, upskilling people in line with their aspirations or reskilling people who want to try something new. Find out more here.

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