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With industry training boards among the public bodies up for review in the government’s cull of quangos, the reprieve was welcomed by construction trade associations.
A statement from the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) said: “Government has agreed that the Industry Training Boards for Construction, Engineering Construction and Film will be retained as Non-Departmental Public Bodies. The ITBs are owned and directed by the employers in their industry and act independently of Government. The central purpose of the ITBs is to meet the skill needs of their industries through consensus support for a statutory levy.”
James Wates, chairman of CITB-ConstructionSkills, responded: “We understand that in these tough times, government has a duty to ensure it delivers best value for money – so we welcome the news that CITB-ConstructionSkills is to be retained under the Public Bodies Act.”
“We view the decision as a positive endorsement of the Levy and the work that we do to add value to our employers by ensuring industry has the right skills in place, to improve standards and contribute towards economic growth.”
Despite this vote of confidence, the organisation says that is committed to delivering more and improving the way it works with industry.
Mr Wates said: “Our industry is changing, and we need to change with it. The Board recognises that continuing to reform the organisation could be beneficial to improve its overall effectiveness.”
Since succeeding Sir Michael Latham as chairman in April 2010, James Wates and the industry-led board have been looking at how the industry could secure a better deal from the Levy if the organisation had more flexibilities and freedoms to operate.
Mr Wates said: “A more commercial approach and a drive for income from other sources, added to employer funds, could provide additional funding for investment in a wider range of training activities needed by industry. Now that we know we are to be retained, our focus is to ensure that we deliver a sustainable business in the future that continues to add value, and maintains strong industry support.”
Suzannah Nichol, chief executive of the National Specialist Contractors Council said: “This is welcome news. CITB-ConstructionSkills has demonstrated that it’s listening and responding to industry needs and provides a valued support in the current economic climate. We’re delighted to see this role recognised and look forward to continuing the excellent relationship the specialists have with CITB-ConstructionSkills”.
Stephen Ratcliffe, director UK Contractors Group, said: “We welcome government’s decision to retain CITB-ConstructionSkills under the Public Bodies Bill. The next three years will be challenging for our industry as we emerge from recession into growth, and we will need a strong and politically independent Industry Training Board working alongside us, to maintain industry’s investment in skills.”
Introduced in the 1960s, CITB-ConstructionSkills and the Levy system is tasked with ensuring that the industry invests in skills - attracting and training new entrants and equipping its existing workforce with the skills needed to ensure construction projects are completed safely, on time, to cost and to the highest standards.
CITB-ConstructionSkills says that it collected £163m in levy last year, and, supplementing it with funds from commercial activities, returned £207m to the industry through grants, support for apprenticeships, business advice, specialist support and other funding for employers and industry groups. A recent survey showed that 69% of employers support the continuation of the Levy-Grant system, the training board said.
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