CITB

The Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) is the designated industry training board for the construction sector in England, Scotland, and Wales

Its remit is to assist the construction industry in attracting talent and to champion skills development, with the overarching goal of building a better Britain. Its purpose is to support the construction industry in sustaining a workforce that is skilled, competent, and inclusive, both for the present and the future.

CITB is committed to ensuring that the construction industry remains at the forefront of skill development and innovation, fostering a robust and diverse workforce that is equipped to meet the evolving needs of the sector.

Investing in skills

To support the improvement of the training and skills system, CITB has committed to invest over £267m to ensure the skills system is fit for purpose now and in the future. It has been working collaboratively and at pace with the Government and industry to develop interventions to meet the construction workforce skills needs to deliver its homebuilding ambitions.

A strong apprenticeship pipeline is vital for SME employers and a healthy construction industry. Between April 2023 and March 2025, CITB is investing nearly £150m into apprenticeship grants, demonstrating the scale of support available. Since 2020, CITB has issued over 72,000 apprenticeship grants for individual learners and delivered 5,700 apprenticeship courses at the National Construction Colleges. During the same period, over 26,000 apprenticeship grants were awarded to construction employers.

To further support the industry, CITB created its New Entrant Support Team, who are available to help employers find, recruit and retain apprentices – providing guidance every step of the way. This hands-on free support can cover recruitment, paperwork, accessing grants and funding, and ongoing mentoring throughout the apprenticeship.

CITB offers three primary options to support businesses with the costs of training, all of which can be tailored by regional CITB advisors to meet specific business needs.

Registered businesses can claim grants upon the completion of construction-specific training and, in many cases, the grant amount covers the full cost of the training. Through Employer Networks, local CITB advisors source and book training on behalf of the employer, covering 70% of the training cost directly.

Ideal for employers who can plan training in advance, the Skills and Training Fund provides allowances based on company size, typically up to £5,000 for small businesses. This funding can be provided upfront and may cover up to 100% of eligible training costs.

Improving diversity, quality and productivity

CITB is committed to helping the industry improve diversity, quality and productivity as well as making construction a more attractive career choice for future generations. The following expanded initiatives can help employers meet demand head on:

• New Entrant Support Team (NEST) – helping employers to better navigate the recruitment process, access grants and suitable training, when and where needed.
• Industry Impact Fund – making direct funding available for employers to design and test new solutions for talent recruitment and retention challenges.
• Employer Networks – rolling this out across Great Britain, to enable local employers to set their own funding priorities and meet area-specific skills needs.
• Leadership and Management Commission – the commission will provide 10,500 Institute of Leadership and Management (ILM) courses to front-line construction managers, site supervisors and site managers in England, Scotland and Wales.CITB is providing over £10m in funding to support learners and reduce the cost of the qualification for Levy-registered employers by more than 90%.

Homebuilding Skills Hubs

In partnership with the Government and National House Building Council (NHBC), CITB has launched Homebuilding Skills Hubs to deliver fast-track apprenticeships and high-quality training. Once fully rolled out, the hubs are estimated to deliver up to 5,000 new homebuilding apprenticeship starts and job opportunities each year.

Up to 32 hubs will be launched by 2027 and, depending on the type of apprenticeship and role, fast-track apprenticeships are 25% – 45% faster than traditional apprenticeships. CITB is investing £40 million alongside NHBC investing £100 million to establish the new hubs.

In total, CITB will invest over £1bn over the course of this Parliament, working in partnership with industry, training providers, and Government to address the skills and workforce gaps that act as a barrier to housing supply.

Find out more about CITB’s work at: www.citb.co.uk