The chief executive of the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) Adrian Belton has resigned.
He will step down at the end of this month, with chief financial officer and corporate performance director Sarah Beale becoming acting chief executive.
Belton was named permanent chief executive of the body in January 2014 after nearly six years as head of the Food and Environment Research Agency.
He took over from interim chief executive William Burton, who came in after Mark Farrar stepped down following seven years with the training board.
His resignation comes after Robert Halfon, minister for apprenticeships and skills, appointed former chief construction adviser Paul Morrell in October to review the UK’s industry training boards, including the CITB.
Acting chief: Sarah Beale
Also in October, Cast boss Mark Farmer’s report, Modernise or Die, called for a radical overhaul of the CITB.
CITB chairman James Wates said: “In the past three years, Adrian has led the development of key organisational reforms that have enabled and shaped CITB’s future offer to industry. Now that a plan has been delivered to the board, Adrian has decided the time is right to leave CITB and pass on the baton for a successor to deliver on that plan.
“CITB is now moving onto the next phase of its reform, which is engaging with industry on how it will support, delivering the required change and consulting on a new Levy Order. This includes reforming the Grants Scheme to ensure that levy funds are invested in the skills most needed by our industry.
“Sarah Beale will step up to be acting chief executive, in accordance with established succession arrangements. She has excellent knowledge of the organisation and our industry, and a practical, hands-on approach that will be needed for this next phase of engagement and delivery.
“As chairman, I will take a more direct role in engaging with industry during this time, and providing support to Sarah and the rest of the executive team, in whom the CITB Board and I place our full confidence.”
One recipient of a grant for projects said that the state of the CITB “is creating a level of uncertainty that makes it hard to plan ahead in terms of putting in bids for project grants”.
