FIS has submitted its response to the consultation on the proposed merger of the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) and the Engineering Construction Industry Training Board (ECITB), reflecting feedback from employers across the finishes and interiors sector.
While members recognised the potential benefits of closer collaboration between the two organisations, including improved coordination of skills policy and workforce planning, there is limited support for the merger as currently proposed.
Members expressed concerns that a larger organisation could become more bureaucratic and less responsive to the needs of specialist sectors and SMEs. Questions were also raised around levy value, access to funding, employer engagement and whether structural change alone would improve outcomes for industry.
Feedback emphasised that any future training body must remain employer led, maintain strong representation for specialist sectors and demonstrate clear value for levy paying businesses.
The response concludes that improving performance, accountability and accessibility should take priority over organisational restructuring unless there is clear evidence that a merger will deliver measurable benefits for employers, apprentices and workforce development.
As part of its submission, FIS noted that while a merger may offer administrative efficiencies, members remain unconvinced that it would improve support for specialist sectors or increase the value employers receive from the levy.