Course overview
If you are the person a construction site answers to, the SMSTS is the qualification the industry expects you to hold. Across Leeds, principal contractors on city-centre commercial schemes, high-rise residential developments and the major regeneration work reshaping the south side of the city routinely ask for a current SMSTS certificate before they will let anyone take charge of a site. The Site Management Safety Training Scheme is the CITB’s flagship five-day course for site managers, and for many Leeds contractors it has moved from being a nice-to-have to a firm condition of the job.
Leeds is one of the largest construction markets in the North of England. The city centre has seen a sustained run of office, hotel and build-to-rent development, the South Bank regeneration continues to bring forward large mixed-use plots along the River Aire, and beyond the ring road there is steady housebuilding, industrial and logistics work stretching out through the Aire Valley and across West Yorkshire. Every one of those projects needs competent site management, and the managers running them are expected to understand CDM, temporary works, working at height and the rest of the legal framework in enough depth to plan, organise, monitor and control the work safely. That is exactly what the SMSTS is built to deliver.
Skills Training Group delivers the CITB SMSTS course to Leeds delegates as a live online class over five consecutive weekdays, taught in real time by experienced construction trainers. You get the full CITB syllabus, the same nationally recognised certificate as any classroom course, and a 98.7% pass rate behind you, all without leaving Leeds or losing hours to travel. The course costs £430 and you can check dates and book online in a few minutes.
Who the SMSTS course in Leeds is for
SMSTS is a management-level qualification. It is written for the people who carry overall responsibility for a construction site, rather than those who supervise a single gang or trade. If your role involves planning the programme, coordinating subcontractors, managing the site paperwork and answering for health and safety across the whole job, this is the course pitched at your level of responsibility.
Typical delegates on our SMSTS courses include:
- Site managers and site agents running projects day to day
- Project managers with overall responsibility for construction delivery
- Site supervisors stepping up into a site management role
- Business owners and directors of Leeds construction firms who oversee their own sites
- Contracts managers and construction managers who need a formal safety qualification at management level
- Experienced construction professionals moving from a trade or supervisory background into management
It is worth being clear about where SMSTS sits against its shorter cousin. The SSSTS is the two-day course for supervisors, gangers and chargehands who direct a team but do not run the whole site. The SMSTS is the five-day course for the person in overall charge. Plenty of people in the Leeds construction sector take SSSTS first and move up to SMSTS as their responsibilities grow, but if you are already managing a site, or about to, SMSTS is the qualification contractors will ask you for.
What you’ll learn
Over the five days your tutor works through the full CITB Site Safety Plus syllabus for site managers. Rather than reciting regulations at you, the course keeps coming back to the same practical question: what does this mean for the decisions you make on site? The programme builds your understanding of health and safety law and the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations, then applies that framework to the risks a site manager in Leeds actually has to control, from excavations and temporary works to working at height, demolition, occupational health and behavioural safety.
In broad terms, you will learn how to:
- Understand your legal duties as a site manager and where responsibility sits under CDM
- Plan, organise, monitor and control site activity so the job stays safe and compliant
- Produce and manage risk assessments and method statements that people actually follow
- Manage the higher-risk activities that cause the most serious harm on construction sites
- Lead site inductions, briefings and toolbox talks with confidence
- Build a positive safety culture across your own team and your subcontractors
A full module-by-module breakdown appears further down this page, so we will not repeat every topic here. What matters is the outcome: by the end of the week you should be able to walk onto any site in Leeds or anywhere else in the UK and manage it in line with current legislation and industry best practice, and explain your reasoning to an HSE inspector, a principal contractor or your own workforce.
The teaching itself is interactive. You will discuss real scenarios, work through case studies with the other delegates, and take part in group exercises, because the exam tests understanding rather than memory, and so does the job.
How the course runs
The SMSTS is delivered over five consecutive midweek days, Monday to Friday, running from 8:30 to 17:00 each day. Attendance on all five days is a CITB requirement, so you should treat the week as a firm commitment before you book. Most Leeds delegates find that blocking out a single working week is far easier to arrange than the day-release alternatives, and it means you sit the exam on the Friday with the whole course fresh in your mind.
The course is taught live online over a Zoom video link. This is a real class with a real tutor teaching in real time, not a set of recorded videos you work through alone. You can ask questions as they occur to you, join the discussions, and work through exercises in small groups with the other delegates, exactly as you would in a physical classroom. The difference is that you attend from home, from the site cabin or from the office, wherever in Leeds suits you, rather than spending your week commuting to a training venue.
To join the course you will need:
- A laptop or computer with a webcam and microphone, and a reliable internet connection
- A good standard of spoken and written English, as the course and exam are delivered in English
- Ideally, some experience of working on construction sites, so the content lands in a context you recognise
There is no formal qualification needed to enrol. If you can join a video call, you can attend the course, and our team is on hand before the start date if you want to check your setup.
Assessment and the SMSTS exam
Your understanding is checked throughout the week, and the course finishes with a formal examination. The exam paper is made up of multiple-choice questions, multi-response questions where more than one answer is correct, and short written-answer questions. It lasts approximately 30 minutes, and the pass mark is 81%.
That pass mark sounds demanding, and it is meant to be, because the certificate tells employers you can be trusted to run a site. In practice, delegates who attend all five days and engage with the discussions and exercises are very well prepared by the time the paper is put in front of them. Our SMSTS pass rate stands at 98.7%, which reflects both the quality of the teaching and the fact that the tutors know precisely what the exam expects.
If you want to see the style of question before you commit, we publish a free SMSTS mock test you can take online. It is a useful way to gauge where you stand, and plenty of Leeds delegates use it both before booking and as revision during the course week.
Why train online from Leeds
We will be straightforward about this: we do not run a physical SMSTS training centre in Leeds. The course is delivered entirely live online, and for most site managers that turns out to be the better option, not a compromise.
Think about what a classroom course actually costs a Leeds delegate beyond the fee. Five days of driving across the city or the wider region in rush hour, five days of city-centre parking or train fares, and for anyone coming in from the surrounding towns, a couple of hours a day lost to the commute. Attending online removes all of it. You log in at 8:30, train until 17:00, and you are already home. If something urgent happens on your site over the week, you are minutes away rather than stuck at a venue on the other side of the city.
The certificate you earn is identical. CITB approves the live online delivery of the SMSTS, the syllabus is the same, the exam is the same, and the certificate you receive carries exactly the same recognition with contractors in Leeds and across the UK as one earned in a classroom. No employer will know or care which format you chose; they will simply see a current CITB SMSTS certificate.
There is also a benefit that surprises people. Because the class is online, you train alongside site managers from all over the country rather than only those within driving distance of one venue. The group discussions draw on a wider spread of projects and problems, from major infrastructure jobs to small residential sites, which makes the case-study work genuinely richer. And because delegates join from everywhere, courses run frequently, so you will rarely wait long for a start date that fits around your programme.
For delegates across the Leeds catchment, from the city itself out to Bradford, Wakefield, Huddersfield, Halifax, Harrogate, Castleford, Dewsbury and the rest of West Yorkshire, online delivery means everyone qualifies to the same standard without anyone travelling anywhere.
Certification and five-year validity
Pass the course and you receive the official CITB SMSTS certificate, the recognised benchmark for construction site management across the UK. Principal contractors and developers in Leeds and nationwide accept it as evidence that you have been trained to manage a site safely and understand your legal responsibilities, and many will not appoint a site manager without it.
The certificate is valid for five years from the date of issue. Before it expires, you keep it current by completing the shorter CITB SMSTS refresher course, which updates your knowledge of legislation and best practice without repeating the full five days. A word of warning from experience: do not let the certificate lapse. If it expires before you refresh it, CITB requires you to sit the full five-day course again, so it pays to book the refresher well ahead of your expiry date.
CITB grant funding
If your employer is registered with CITB and pays the levy, the business may be able to claim a CITB grant towards the cost of this course. For Leeds construction firms putting one manager or a whole team through the SMSTS, that grant meaningfully reduces the net cost of training, and the money is paid directly to the employer after successful completion.
Claiming is the employer’s process rather than the delegate’s, and we can point you in the right direction if you have not claimed before. If you are unsure whether your business is levy-registered or grant-eligible, give us a call on 0808 164 2780 before you book and we will help you work it out.
How to book your SMSTS course in Leeds
Booking is quick and you can do it entirely online. The live online SMSTS course costs £430. Head to our SMSTS booking page, pick a Monday-to-Friday week that fits your programme, and reserve your place. You will receive joining instructions and everything you need ahead of the start date, and on the Monday morning you simply click your Zoom link a few minutes before 8:30 and your tutor takes it from there.
If you would rather talk it through first, whether that is checking the course is right for your role, arranging places for several managers at once, or asking about CITB grants, call our team on 0808 164 2780. You can also find full course details on our main CITB SMSTS course page.
Frequently asked questions
Is the SMSTS certificate recognised by contractors on Leeds sites?
Yes. The SMSTS is a CITB Site Safety Plus qualification and is the standard site management safety certificate across the UK construction industry. Principal contractors and developers working in Leeds accept it in exactly the same way as contractors anywhere else in the country, and many require it before appointing a site manager. The certificate from the live online course is identical to one earned in a classroom.
Do I have to travel anywhere in Leeds to attend the course?
No. The course is delivered entirely live online over a Zoom video link, so there is no venue to travel to. You attend from home, the site office or anywhere in the Leeds area with a decent internet connection, and you complete everything, including the exam, remotely. That saves five days of commuting and parking compared with attending a physical training centre.
Will Leeds employers accept an online SMSTS certificate?
Yes. CITB approves live online delivery of the SMSTS, and the certificate does not distinguish between formats because the syllabus, exam and standard are the same. Employers and principal contractors across Leeds and West Yorkshire see the same official CITB SMSTS certificate whichever way you trained, and online SMSTS certificates are accepted on sites throughout the UK.
How long is the SMSTS course?
The SMSTS runs over five consecutive midweek days, Monday to Friday, from 8:30 to 17:00 each day. Full attendance on all five days is a CITB requirement, so the course cannot be shortened or completed part-time. Most delegates block out a single working week, which keeps the learning continuous and means you sit the exam while everything is fresh.
How much does the SMSTS course cost?
The live online SMSTS course costs £430. If your employer is registered with CITB and pays the levy, the business may be able to claim a CITB grant towards the cost of the course, which is paid directly to the employer after successful completion. Call us on 0808 164 2780 if you want help checking grant eligibility before booking.
What is the SMSTS exam like, and what happens if I am worried about it?
The exam is taken at the end of the course and lasts approximately 30 minutes. It contains multiple-choice questions, multi-response questions and short written-answer questions, and the pass mark is 81%. Delegates who attend all five days and take part in the exercises are well prepared, which is why our pass rate is 98.7%. If you want to see the question style beforehand, try our free SMSTS mock test online.
What is the difference between SMSTS and SSSTS, and how does renewal work?
SSSTS is the two-day CITB course for site supervisors, gangers and chargehands who direct a team. SMSTS is the five-day course for site managers, agents and project managers responsible for running an entire site, so if you are in overall charge, SMSTS is the one you need. Both certificates are valid for five years; you renew the SMSTS by completing the shorter CITB SMSTS refresher course before your certificate expires.
Ready to qualify? Places on our live online SMSTS courses are limited to keep the classes interactive, and weeks fill quickly with delegates from Leeds and across the UK. Book your SMSTS course online now or call 0808 164 2780 and our team will find you a course week that fits, answer any questions and get you booked in today.
Modules breakdown
Across the five days, your tutor works through the full CITB Site Management Safety Training Scheme syllabus, blending live teaching with group discussions, case studies and daily knowledge checks. Every module is taught with the site manager’s responsibilities in mind, covering the following key areas:
Health and safety legislation
- Health and Safety at Work Act fundamentals and their implications for construction
- Environmental legislation affecting construction sites
- Recent developments and new guidance in safety regulations
- Responsibilities under relevant legislation, and industry best practice beyond the legal minimum
Risk management
- Conducting thorough risk assessments and implementing the necessary control measures
- Ensuring safe working practices across different site activities
- Managing common safety issues on construction sites
- Creating systems for continual safety awareness
Leadership and communication
- Developing a positive safety culture on site
- Techniques for communicating safety protocols effectively
- Engaging the workforce in health and safety initiatives
- Managing subcontractors and supporting site supervisors in their safety responsibilities
Practical site management
- Day-to-day safety management techniques
- Responding to incidents and near misses
- Documentation and record-keeping requirements
- Site inspections, audits, toolbox talks and safety briefings
Special site hazards
- Working at height safety protocols
- Plant and equipment safety
- Excavation and groundworks safety
- Managing hazardous substances
- Electrical safety on construction sites
You attend all five training days, take part in the group activities and knowledge checks, then sit the final exam. On passing, you receive the official CITB SMSTS certificate, valid for five years, which you keep current with the two-day SMSTS Refresher Course before it expires. If you supervise rather than manage a site, the two-day SSSTS course may be the better fit – our team can help you choose.
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