CITB has announced an investment of more than £800,000 for the launch of a new employer network pilot project, which could revolutionise the way the construction sector access and receive funding for training in the future.  Over 3,800 levy-registered construction businesses will be eligible to benefit from the pilot, offered across five locations in England, Scotland and Wales.  While the pilot is open to businesses of all sizes, there is a primary aim to simplify the process for small and micro businesses, helping to place them at the heart of local training provision.

Through the support of established and experienced delivery partners, the pilot enables employers to recognise their training priorities and receive guidance on how best to find and fund the training most appropriate to them.  This transformative way of working provides a huge opportunity for employers to not only voice their training requirements, but also play a fundamental role in deciding how funds are used in their local area.

As part of this new model, construction businesses will not need to access the grant scheme, as CITB is supporting the employer network to help organise and fund training directly.  Many of the current requirements around training being “in scope” will also be relaxed to ensure the pilots can be as reflective of the employer’s needs as possible.  Therefore, training can predominantly be in anything that helps a business work better, whether that’s a construction skill; a health and safety course; a business skill; or a future skill need, such as net zero.  The five pilot areas covered are:

  • Inverness in Scotland, provided by Scottish Civils Training Group
  • Norfolk in England, provided by Norfolk Construction Training Group
  • Lincoln in England, provided by Lincoln Group Training Association
  • South West Wales, provided by Cyfle Building Skills
  • The final pilot is specifically for Civil Engineering firms in the Midlands, provided by CECA Midlands.

If you would like information, advice or guidance on support available from CITB give Marie Flinter a call on 07799 903103 or email marieflinter@thefis.org