CITB has announced a number of changes aimed at “streamlining our approach to more effectively help levy-registered employers access financial support for training. To do this we have reviewed our existing offer and we are making changes. These changes are not removing the support offered by CITB to industry but are simplifying the way in which they are accessed, making it easier for employers.”
In a set of changes (listed below) FIS has highlighted concern that, the Skills and Training Fund will close from 30 September 2025 with Employer Networks becoming the sole route for business development funding. This shift is intended to reduce confusion caused by overlapping schemes and improve efficiency. The ‘Suggest a Course’ initiative will also be closed, as CITB believes Employer Networks now provide sufficient support to industry. Additionally, the Industry Accreditation grant uplift will end on 31 December 2025, earlier than planned, and a new £240 grant tier will be introduced for shorter ‘Award’ level qualifications from September 2025. These changes are being positioned as part of a broader effort to make better use of industry funds and focus on impact.
However, FIS is concerned that particularly the almost immediate withdrawal of the Skills and Training Fund removes a valuable funding route that many of members have been using successfully and has been delivering clear benefits. Commenting on the revisions, FIS’s, Beena Nana stated:
“For a membership that largely voted against the most recent levy order, primarily due to concerns around the structure of the levy and how the makeup of our workforce affects both what members contribute and what they are able to claim, this will feel like a real kick in the teeth. We acknowledge the need to change and simplify the need to claim, but the decision to cut the Skills and Training Fund and giving businesses just over a month’s notice is short-sighted and only reinforces concerns that CITB is out of touch with the employers it is meant to support. Changes should be phased in and tested and considered in the context of the different businesses and business types that CITB is trying to serve, allowing businesses to budget and manage change. From where we are sat the withdrawal will almost certainly reduce the short-term return members receive on their levy contributions. While Employer Networks may be working for some employers, our experience and feedback so far has been mixed. More needs to be done to evaluate their effectiveness and improve how they operate. Our message to CITB is fairly straightforward, simplification is needed, but don’t remove the simplest bits to use first!”
Full list of the changes are:
Skills and Training fund
Currently, both Employer Networks (ENs) and the Skills & Training (S&T) fund offer funding for similar types of training, which we know can be confusing for employers navigating their options.
Listening to employer feedback, we are going to simplify this process and create a more efficient service, we’re moving towards a single route. From 30 September 2025, the Skills & Training fund will close, and Employer Networks will become the single channel for further developing businesses. Alongside this the grants scheme will continue to operate to support core construction training.
To ensure the most appropriate use of industry funds, applications received in September will operate under new payment terms where funding will be paid upon completion of the agreement. If you have an application that has already been agreed, this will of course be honoured.
Industry Accreditation uplift
We put this grant uplift in place when CLC announced the removal of the Industry Accreditation card. This was to support individuals that needed to complete qualifications to remain carded. To date we have supported over 11.5k individuals which exceeds the number expected. We had intended to keep this uplift in place until the end of March 2026 but to ensure most suitable use of industry funds, this uplift will be removed at the end of December 2025. Once the uplift is removed, grants to support these qualifications will return to £600.
‘Suggest a course’ initiative
Introduced to ensure we could get feedback from industry on what was needed, we will now be closing this initiative. ENs were established to make it easier for employers to access training, and funding and bring together employers at a local level to inform CITB on training needs. As ENs are well established, we do not need to duplicate these routes so closing the initiative is another way we are streamlining our offer to industry.
New short qualification grant tier
As announced recently, from September 2025 we will be introducing a new grant tier for some short period qualifications to ensure that CITB funding is effectively optimising impact.
For achievements from September 2025, any qualification achieved at an ‘Award’ level will receive the grant value of £240 (rather than £600).
Award’ level qualifications typically have a shorter duration with fewer modules to complete, and the cost to undertake this level is usually lower, therefore this is reflected in the new grant payment.Launch of online grant portal
We’re delighted to let you know we will shortly be introducing CITB’s new online services platform, launching on Wednesday 24 September.
This is the first phase of a modernised system designed to make accessing CITB’s Grant Scheme simpler and more efficient. With the new platform, employers will be able to:
- Apply for Apprenticeship and Qualification grants online
- Track the status of grant applications
- Have greater control over online access to their account.
If you have any questions or concerns, please contact beenanana@thefis.org or marieflinter@thefis.org