James Wates has been reappointed chair of the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) by minister of state for the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS), Nick Boles.
Mr. Wates has already led CITB through a period of significant change in the sector since taking over as chairman in 2010, and has since championed the appointment of a smaller and more diverse board of trustees. With the appointment of seven new CITB trustees in January this year by Nick Boles, and the launch of a new council drawn from across the sector, CITB says James and the board are now better placed to work with the construction industry to address its skills needs.
Mr. Wates said: “I’m delighted to be continuing as chairman of CITB. This is an exciting time for construction and I’m proud to lead an organisation with such an important role in ensuring that the industry has the skilled workforce it needs.
“CITB will deliver on its promise to the industry to become more efficient and effective. We’ll work with the sector on making sure that employer funding supports the right skills, that training providers meet industry needs and that information about opportunities in construction is easy to access. We’ll continue to deliver on the shared ambition to deliver significantly more apprenticeships.
“But this is not just about skills for young people. We need to change our proposition as an industry and think about training and career pathways for the whole of the workforce – as that’s what industry wants and needs.”
He added: “I will look to build a much stronger platform for engagement with industry across Government. I will be talking to ministers regularly to discuss how we can best work together on the challenges and opportunities facing the industry.”
