‘Reconstructing CITB, The NFB View of CITB: A New Way Forward for Skills and Training Deliver’ is a new paper from the National Federation of Builders (NFB), which represents the views of its members and aims to spark an industry and government-wide debate about the future of the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB).
The paper lays out how a fundamental restructuring of the organisation could take place, and proposes sweeping changes to ensure better, more efficient, more accountable, more focused and more successful delivery of skills and training outcomes.
Key recommendations include:
- The creation of a new construction careers body
- Fundamental reform of Levy including stripping CITB of Levy raising powers
- Removal of the grants system and corresponding reduction in Levy
- Delivering apprenticeship and qualification financial incentives through government
- Retaining a residual CITB to focus on work as the Sector Skills Council
- Redeploying local advisors through employment and skills boards
- Ending CITB projects and programmes
- Changing CITB’s status and submitting the organisation to competitive tender.
‘Reconstructing CITB’ is the culmination of two years of consultation, right up to and including the NFB’s CITB consensus process. It aims to set the tone of debate and provide a blueprint for reform ahead of a formal ITB review by the government, expected sometime next year.
The report begins by outlining the industry’s verdict on CITB, as reported in its own annual reports: that the majority of construction employers asked do not see the CITB as adding value to the industry, they don’t believe the labour market meets the industry’s needs, and they don’t think they can access the training they need when they need it. This is a situation that has worsened, by CITB’s own measures, for the past three years.
The NFB has said that while its members overwhelmingly support the aims and objectives of the CITB, as well as the principle of a cross-industry approach at skills and training delivery, including a Levy system, its members do not have confidence in the current organisation’s ability to deliver.
‘CITB needs a fundamental reorganisation’
Richard Beresford, chief executive of the NFB, said: “As a member-led organisation we have lobbied for years for the CITB to reform from within. Our members have finally come to the conclusion that it is no longer a viable option, and that the CITB needs a fundamental reorganisation.
“Only the government will be able to deliver that, so we are launching this paper to spark a serious and wide-ranging debate about how we mobilise to get this done. I’m calling on all those who pay CITB Levy to join us in this fight. It’s time to reconstruct CITB.”
‘Time to think outside the box’
Herman Kok, company secretary of the Lindum Group, and chair of the NFB Skills and Training subgroup who authored the paper, added: “Many employers will feel, like I do, that the CITB consensus process is disingenuous and doesn’t give us the opportunity to issue our verdict on the failing CITB – we support the principle of a cross-industry approach, just not the organisation tasked with delivering it.
“As an employee-owned organisation and a chair of an independent training group, I know as well as most the incredible value of training. What I cannot support is continuing to look the other way on an organisation that simply cannot deliver on its core mission – it is time we think outside the box, do the construction industry the justice of being truly creative and transformative, and open a proper debate about the tools we need to attract, retain, champion and upskill our people.”
Tim Balcon, chief executive of the CITB, said: “Having a strong working relationship with all construction employers and their member organisations is very important to the CITB.
“We were pleased that NFB members supported the Levy in the recent consensus process and look forward to building on that positive result.
“As with all of our stakeholders, I look forward to discussing with the NFB the current and future skills needs of construction employers of Great Britain.”
The report is available to all and can be downloaded here.
