CITB has today (17 April) unveiled its three-year Business Plan, a reforming programme of work designed to modernise its business and continue to focus on skills
Based on feedback from levy-payers, industry and the Government’s ITB Review, Vision 2020: Business Plan 2018-21 outlines how CITB will become the focused, strategic skills body for British construction.
The Business Plan adds substantial detail to the Agenda for Change published last year, revealing a massive £689m investment into construction skills. Supported by a new set of key performance indicators, CITB aims to be open, transparent and accountable.
Investment across the 2018-2021 period will reflect CITB’s strategic priorities:
- £613m on Training and Development to deliver skills outcomes
- £31m on Engagement, securing the skills policy framework
- £17m on Careers, increasing from £3m in 2018/19 to £8m in 2020/21
- £9m on building CITB’s evidence base, identify needs and delivering outcomes
- £4m on Standards and Qualifications, providing consistency and quality.
The Business Plan contains a road-map of milestones as CITB modernises, exiting direct delivery and focusing on skills outcomes. This includes sharing more detail on the Vision 2020 programme so that the construction sector can chart CITB’s progress.
These changes mean CITB’s workforce will decrease. The Business Plan estimates that the current figure of 1,370 employees will become fewer than 600 by 2020/21.
CITB Chief Executive Sarah Beale, said: “CITB has listened, and we have now taken action. This Business Plan sets out our ambitions for the next three years.
“It shows how CITB’s work across England, Scotland and Wales will modernise and repurpose. By 2020 we will be the ‘levy in, skills out’ body construction employers asked for, doing less, better, while being fully transparent and accountable.
“I am confident that this Business Plan will make a radical difference to CITB, enabling us to meet the skills needs of construction.”
Reforms highlighted in the Plan are underway with the introduction of CITB’s Training Model and new Grant scheme earlier this month.
The Training Model will enable employers to get the correct training. It will mean workers can train and retain their qualification record to share with future employers. The Grant Scheme will enable firms to receive automated grant payments. This will cut red tape and ensure training grants reach SMEs and micro firms in particular.
