Tim Balcon

 Tim spoke of the systemic challenges in the training landscape and the role of CITB.  He zoned in on the three key areas for CITB,

• CITB role in Pipeline is to: Inform and enable diverse and skilled people into construction.
• CITB role in Pathways is to: Develop a training and skills system to meet current and future needs
• Our role in Training Supply is to: Support the industry to train and develop its workforce

He highlighted the challenge of recruitment and concerns that the people are not there to recruit and hence to combine this activity with a focus on productivity.  He also touched on the challenge of finding people to deliver the training.

Tim noted that there is an over-reliance on apprenticeships to achieve the required numbers of new entrants and it is not easy for either businesses or individuals to identify alternative training pathways. Industry now has an increasing emphasis on competence driven by requirements such as the Building Safety Act.  Within this he referenced the need for a more modular skills system.

He also referenced the need to put employers in control and that Sector Plans would deliver a more targeted approach to delivering the support required to businesses.

In discussion the shortfall in funding was discussed along with the lack of alignment between Apprenticeship Levy and CITB Levy.  The fact funding rewards outcome which leaves employers to carry too much of the risk was raised as was the challenge of funding in a market where there is a higher proportion of self-employment (a result of the procurement issues discussed prior) was raised, as were concerns around the cost of getting people onto a construction site so that training can begin, which remains a barrier.

A final question was asked about whether immigration was still something that we should be exploring more holistically.  IM reported that FIS had successfully lobbied to get the majority of our trades onto the Shortage Occupation List and Dry Lining was the only occupation (off the back of FIS lobbying work) to be re-assessed as a Skilled Worker, but policy was not clear and the recommendation from the Migration Advisory Committee is that Construction Trades should be removed from the Shortage Occupation list and more done by the sector to train indigenous workforce.  This is very much a political issue at the moment.