ConstructionSkills is to be the sole issuing authority for English apprenticeship frameworks in construction, Business Secretary Vince Cable has announced.
The appointment will see the Construction Industry Training Board take charge of issuing frameworks across England. It will take responsibility for issuing frameworks across Wales later this year, Construction News reported.
Chief executive Mark Farrar said: “This is an excellent opportunity for CITB-ConstructionSkills to work closer with developers to ensure that English Apprenticeship Frameworks are delivered to a high standard and are fit for purpose.
“By ensuring that the English Apprenticeship Frameworks are developed with industry, CITB-ConstructionSkills will work with the sector to deliver the right skills for economic growth locally and nationally.”
As the issuing authority for the construction sector, the organisation’s role is to support framework developers and ensure frameworks comply with the requirements, Building reported.
As part of its work, the CITB will publish all frameworks for the construction sector on the Apprenticeship Framework Online, (AFO), which allows businesses to use the online frameworks library to search for an apprenticeship or to see if a new apprenticeship framework is being developed.
Candidates who are taken on as apprentices will train towards a National Vocational Qualification (NVQ) in their chosen construction trade.
James Wates, CITB chair, told Building that the industry can expect a number of major contractors to sign up to the government’s drive to create 50,000 apprenticeships.
“The UK contractors who I can speak for are looking very very strongly at how they can engage more in apprenticeships,” he said.
- Wates also said that the CITB’s levy working party, set up to consider the future of the industry’s training levy, will consider allowing paying firms a vote on the levy.
In a survey by the Civil Engineering Contractors Association (CECA) in March, 77% of engineers said they supported the levy system, in an unusual vote put to levy payers.
Wates said: “I think [giving federation members a vote] is something for the levy working party – they will look at this.”
But he added that he was not personally in favour of extending votes to levy payers.
