Sarah Beale, CITB chief executive
The Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) has unveiled sweeping changes to the way in which it trains workers in the construction industry.
The body has launched a new system to access training and funding called the new Training Model and Grants Scheme, which is part of its Vision 2020 programme.
The move comes after a government review last year that called on the CITB to introduce reforms and become more representative of the small businesses that make up the majority of the construction sector.
As part of a new strategy outlined in the publication Vision 2020: The Future CITB, the organisation announced that it would be slimming down and moving its head office from Bircham Newton in Norfolk, with Peterborough outlined as a likely new base.
Meanwhile, the plans also involve the outsourcing of many of the CITB’s back office functions, which it aims to have in place by the end of 2020, and the loss of some jobs.
The CITB’s new training model is broken down into three parts:
- Construction Training Directory – where employers can find the right training, in the right place, at the right time, supported by grant from CITB quality assured training providers, focused on construction skills.
- Construction Training Register – an online database which allows employers to search records of employees to check skills and manage their training needs.
- New Grant Scheme – More flexible and focussed on supporting construction-related training, allowing CITB to support the areas of greatest training need. On successful completion of a course, a CITB Approved Training Organisation (ATO) will confirm the learner’s achievement, upload the details onto the Construction Training Register, triggering the automated grant process, which the CITB promises will cut red tape for employers.
The CITB added that it did not expect the new Construction Training Directory and Construction Training Register to operate at their full potential or hold all courses and records until early 2019.
In the meantime, it will work with CITB Approved Training Organisations (ATO) to upload all available courses while screening and matching employee records for the Construction Training Register.
Meanwhile the CITB will run both the manual and automated grant payment processes in parallel to ensure continuity of service.
The manual grants will only be “turned off” when the CITB is sure the new products are working effectively.
Braden Connolly, director of products and services at CITB, said: “We are delighted to launch CITB’s new Training Model and Grants Scheme today, on time and on budget. It is a major step towards CITB becoming the modern, responsive, accountable organisation industry wants us to be.
“The new Construction Training Directory will make it much easier for employers to get the training they need, where they need it, when they need it.
“By tracking achievements and making employee qualifications accessible to employers, the new Construction Training Register will have a transformative effect on the ability of employers not only to train employees, but also to hire people with the right skills on day one.”
Sarah Beale, chief executive of CITB (pictured) added: “This is a new chapter for us as an organisation and for the industry as a whole. The new automated grants process will make it much easier for employers of all sizes to receive funding for the training they need.
“In addition, the new Construction Training Register will give us a much better understanding about the skills issues we have across the country, allowing us to take a more informed, strategic approach.
“We are still in the early stages but I feel confident that this work will make a real and lasting difference to construction employers across England, Scotland and Wales.”
