Posted on Nov 22, 2017

Recently the Construction Industry Training Board faced it’s triennial consensus vote: an industry poll deciding whether or not it should be allowed to continue to collect the levy which is redistributed to aid training across the sector.

The outcome was in favour of allowing the CITB to continue, but many voices in the industry have called for reform. In addition to this, a governmental review of the CITB has outlined the major reforms it is required to implement quickly to be fit for purpose moving forward.

Chief Executive of CITB, Sarah Beale, has been vocal about their commitment to change with the CITB publishing their Future CITB: Vision 2020, detailing the reform plans. She says:

“Construction needs to modernise and CITB is no exception. We accept the challenges laid down by industry and government and we will deliver a future-fit training body by adapting and updating our business model.”

So, what’s going to change with the CITB?

CSCS / CPCS Cards: The Construction Skills Certification Scheme and the Construction Plant Competency Scheme will no longer be administered by the CITB, instead, these operations will be privatised.

Goodbye National Construction College: CITB are ceasing to operate the National Construction College, it is not yet known whether this means it either faces sale or closure.

Skills shortage: The government is insisting that the CITB, should keep a better eye on the “on current and future skills supply and demand” and then “find ways to shape and influence demand for and supply of training.”

Hold colleges to account: Not only this, but it should “help the industry to be an ‘intelligent customer’ for the publicly funded skills sector, challenging and holding colleges and others to account if they are not providing the training that the industry needs.”

Work placements: More will be done to help identify the barriers and find ways to overcome them, including for small employers, and to consider good practice in making sure that students get the most out of their placements.

Attracting people to construction: The CITB will co-ordinate industry action to attract people into construction, taking account of the Government’s forthcoming careers strategy. As well as progression, they will look at retention to make sure people stay in the industry once introduced.

Meet the challenges of the modern workplace: More will be done to identify the new to train people for modern construction methods and materials to ensure the industry-wide workforce is able to stay-up-to-date with advances in technologies.