Today’s email contains details on the opportunities available to help shape various Standards; an update on the sale of one of our colleges; news from the Government’s Spending Review; and finally, a reminder of our virtual meetings offer.

Industry engagement on Standards

Short Duration Training Standards – Basic Fire Safety – Post-Grenfell

We would really value your input on the proposed content and implementation approach for a new Training Standard on basic fire safety. CITB is currently working as part of the Competence Steering Group, designed to tackle the shortcomings identified in the Hackitt Review after the Grenfell fire.

The consultation on Basic Fire Safety runs from 23 November – 11 December. Please share your views here.

National Occupational Standards (NOS)

An important element in our work involves ensuring training qualifications are fit for purpose and produce the skills employers need. In order to do this, it’s essential that we gather your views on the current content of the Standards and they reflect the modern skills and knowledge needed to perform in your trade.

The current Standards to be reviewed are:

• Construction Contracting Operations

This is currently a Level 3 NVQ & SCQF Level 6, which is split into 7 pathways of Estimating, Buying, Planning, Surveying, Site Technical Support, Design Co-ordinator and General

• Construction Contracting Operations Manager

This is currently a Level 6 NVQ & SCQF Level 9, which is split into 5 pathways of Estimating, Buying, Planning, Quantity Surveying and General

Participation in the review process is all conducted online via virtual meetings and email. If you are interested in the NOS development or know someone who could be, please email nos.consultation@citb.co.uk.

NCC Midlands divestment

I’m pleased to share news of the agreed sale of the National Construction College Midlands to experienced construction skills providers, Walsall College. The sale of this business has secured employment for all 17 CITB colleagues impacted, seeing them transferred over as employees of Walsall College, and ensuring continuity for our customers.

Government’s Spending Review

 The Chancellor published the Government’s Spending Review today for the next year (2021-22), accompanied by the publication of the National Infrastructure Strategy. Additionally, to further assist economic recovery, a new £4bn Levelling Up Fund was revealed to support local infrastructure that has a ‘visible impact’ on people and their communities.

We’re really pleased to see the Chancellor’s commitment to a large increase in infrastructure spending next year. This increase, along with the publication of the National Infrastructure Strategy, instils greater confidence in the future work pipeline for the construction industry. It is now critical that the right skills and training interventions are put in place to help people benefit as a result of this investment. Full details on the Spending Review and new National Infrastructure Strategy can be found on HM Treasury’s website.

 A reminder…

We will now be offering individual conversations virtually for any employers who would like a meeting with their local CITB Advisor. Bookings can be made through our Local Events page. Our group sessions will also continue, following their initial success.

CITB’s COVID-19 Urgent Messages page is refreshed regularly and includes updates on the full range of our work. You can also read the range of support measures made available to UK businesses and employees by the UK Government.

Best wishes and stay safe everyone,

Sarah Beale

Chief Executive

After a summer of great displays of support for the NHS it was good to see the UK Government paying tribute to everyone working in the construction sector last week, for the invaluable support to the economy throughout the pandemic.

Today’s email highlights your feedback on a free new COVID-19 eCourse; asks for your understanding as email temporarily replaces our telephone system due to the pandemic; as well as advance warning of finance system updates; and an invitation to join the new Levy Strategy Committee.

COVID-19: Setting up and operating a safe construction site

As the second national lockdown in England was announced we launched a free COVID-19 e-Course. Already, in just four weeks, more than 1,400 people have completed the training. It covers topics such as current legislation; how a virus spreads; social distancing and risk management.

Course users have since told us that they think the e-Course “covered in-depth elements that similar courses do not touch on,” was “really informative and interesting,” and “a well-balanced course I would highly recommend.”

I’d like to thank employers who have taken the time to share their experiences of the course and provide feedback both to the partnerships team, and by email and social media. You can find out more about other CITB e-Courses here.

Temporary phone line closure and advance warning: finance system updates

As a direct result of COVID-19, part of the CITB customer telephone service has been temporarily closed, though all services will continue by email and webchat. This will remain in place until 2 December, as per Government guidelines.

Additional staff will be available to respond to emails and meet the anticipated extra demand during this time – please contact us by email levy.grant@citb.co.uk  or by webchat.

From 26 Nov – 2 Dec essential system updates are also planned for the CITB finance system. During this period we will have limited access to finance information, we are doing all we can to ensure minimal impact, however there could be a short delay in some Grant payments being received. Please accept our apologies for any inconvenience caused and thank you for your patience during this time.

Help shape the Levy

This year, after speaking to the Prescribed Organisations and some employers, we decided that it was inappropriate to run the Consensus process when the external environment was so unstable and uncertain. Our expectation is that, although some COVID-related uncertainty will remain, the external environment will be sufficiently stable to run the Consensus process next year. The final decision will be taken by the CITB Board in February and before doing so we will seek views from the Prescribed Organisations, which are made up of several trade federations, as well as analysing other economic and industry insights to inform our recommendations to the Board.

In the meantime we have been setting up the Levy Strategy Committee of employers and experts to recommend new Levy Proposals and support a longer term review of the Levy. The committee met for the first time in November, but we have one vacancy for an independent member that isn’t employed by a Levy-registered employer. If you have extensive experience of the industry and you work in an organisation that isn’t a CITB registered employer, please consider joining.

A reminder… 

The forecast for industry can be found in our recently published Construction Skills Network 2021-25 interim report. CITB’s COVID-19 Urgent Messages page is refreshed regularly and includes updates on the full range of our work, including the reopening of Test Centres in Wales and the continuation of testing during lockdown in England.

You can also read the range of support measures made available to UK businesses and employees by the UK Government.

Best wishes and stay safe everyone,

Sarah Beale

Chief Executive

It has been another eventful week, with a new lockdown starting in England (and ending in Wales), the announcement of a possible COVID-19 vaccine, and a new US President. Today of course is also Remembrance Day, when we pay tribute to those who sacrificed so much.

Today’s email brings news about the Skills and Training Fund, the Talent Retention Scheme and our consultation on Training Group support; plus ways in which CITB is combating fraud, and the Lighthouse Club Christmas Cracker promotion.

Skills and Training Fund extension

The eligibility criteria for the CITB Skills and Training Funds were adapted in spring this year in recognition of the challenges being faced by industry, as a direct result of the COVID-19 pandemic. As part of our promise of flexibility, the deadline for the fund to revert back to its original purpose, to support productivity and innovation, scheduled for 1 December, has now been extended to 31 December 2020.

Any applications from 1 January 2021 will be reviewed under the original fund criteria that can be found here.

More than 1,000 candidates registered on the Talent Retention Scheme

The number of candidates using the Construction Talent Retention Scheme topped 1,000 last week. Across the UK individuals have been tapping into the service provided by the Talent Retention Scheme (TRS) and last week saw this substantive milestone reached, with 1,034 registered candidates.

If you are recruiting or looking to restructure your workforce, have a look at the support on offer from the Construction Talent Retention Scheme including the list of talented candidates already registered. List your roles for free – or enquire about the redeployment scheme.

We look forward to the growth being sustained in the coming weeks and months ensuring that the TRS is able to effectively match candidates to roles, while keeping skills in the sector.

Let’s fight fraud together

CITB has received reports of assisted one-day Site Safety Plus (SSP) courses and CITB’s health, safety and environment (HS&E) test costing more than £1,000. In fact the true cost of the HS&E test is just £21.

Training providers are being approached by “facilitators” allegedly offering to bring in large numbers of candidates and asking to use the provider’s facilities and registrations. Some of these facilitators offer cash as an incentive, but after the courses are delivered the cash is not forthcoming and the centre finds their standards may have been compromised.

CITB is currently conducting investigations along with law enforcement agencies. Quality assurance audits are being provided to training centres, and CITB’s fraud team also identifies and targets offenders, including through unannounced audit visits.

If you are approached by unknown facilitators please let CITB know and help prevent fraud at: report.it@citb.co.uk

Supporting Training Groups – industry wide consultation launch

At a time when many programmes have been paused, CITB has maintained its support for a nationwide network of local and specialist Training Groups (TG), so that employers who are TG members can access the local training they need.

However, we do need to look at costs given that CITB will have significantly reduced levy income for the foreseeable future. At the same time, we need to consider what are the most effective ways to help companies access training at a local level, while ensuring value for money and quality of provision.

Today, we are launching an industry wide consultation on how best to provide support in future. This will help us understand the biggest benefits of Training Groups to employers and gather thoughts on the options we are presenting.

You can find the full options paper and the survey on our website. If you need more information, please contact our Partnership Team.

Lighthouse Christmas Cracker promotion

Christmas looks set to be a little different this year, and Christmas events also generate much-needed revenue for brilliant organisations like the Lighthouse Club, which provides financial and emotional support to the construction community. The Lighthouse Club receives no public funding and relies on the generosity of those within the industry to help continue its vital work.

This year the charity has put together a Christmas Cracker promotion, where companies can choose from a variety of e-cards they can send to employees, suppliers and sub-contractors. The promotion will raise revenue for the charity, and also means recipients have the opportunity to claim part of a prize pot of £25,000.

For more details click here.

A reminder… 

The forecast for industry can be found in our recently published Construction Skills Network 2021-25 interim report. CITB’s COVID-19 Urgent Messages page is refreshed regularly and includes updates on the full range of our work. You can also read the range of support measures made available to UK businesses and employees by the UK Government.

Best wishes and stay safe everyone,

Kind wishes,

Sarah Beale

Chief Executive

Today’s email brings news on the launch of a free COVID-19 eCourse; further measures we’ve taken to help with Site Safety Plus training; details of changes at CITB; and extra support through virtual meetings.

The pandemic continues to challenge us all with the recent UK Government announcement over the weekend introducing a second lockdown in England, and an extension of the furlough scheme. As the situation continues to evolve, please view our Urgent Messages page for the latest range of support measures available.

Free COVID-19 eCourse launched

The development of a new pandemic Standard was announced back in August with an eCourse set to follow. I’m pleased to share today that the ‘Setting up and operating a safe construction site during COVID-19’ course in now live on our eCourses platform.

Government guidance is for construction sites to remain open, with a reminder to review social distancing measures and comply with the Site Operating Procedures ‐ Version 6. The COVID-19 eCourse can be used alongside existing guidelines to ensure sites remain open safely, and as the Standard is not grant supported, we’re offering this online course FREE of charge. Aimed primarily at managers and supervisors, the course will enable the confident and knowledgeable delivery of toolbox talks, and cover topics such as, ‘Understanding a Virus’ and ‘Social Distancing’.

Support for Site Safety Plus training

We’re doing all we can to support the safe delivery of courses and enable employees to continue training and upskilling during these difficult times. Following positive feedback and remaining within the recommended guidelines, we’ve increased the number of delegates permitted per remote delivery course from 10 to 12 with immediate effect.

We’ve also further extended the grace period for employees needing to complete a Site Management Safety Training Scheme (SMSTS) or Site Supervision Safety Training Scheme (SSSTS) refresher course, due to continued high demand and local lockdowns. For certificates that expired after 15 March 2020, employees will now have until 31 January 2021 to join a refresher course, rather than having to re-take the full course.

Changes at CITB

Today I share with you that I have made the difficult decision to resign from my role as CEO. I am committed to the delivery of our current plans and in order to ensure stability in this challenging year I will be staying with CITB until September 2021 to make sure CITB is in the strongest position possible as it continues to move forward.

I am proud to have been part of this organisation for the past 16 years, and proud of our work to support construction employers across Great Britain. Until my departure in September, my priority remains to continue to deliver the Skills Stability Plan (our Business Plan for 2021/22) and the Strategic Plan for 2021/24, and to best serve industry needs. I will then look forward to taking some time to be with my family before seeking a new career challenge.

Our Chair, Peter Lauener, will soon begin a recruitment process for a new Chief Executive.

Extra support through virtual meetings

Following periods of furlough, all colleagues have now returned to work, including the customer facing Partnerships and Apprenticeships Teams, and while we still can’t see you in person just yet, we will be holding a series of ‘virtual’ meetings to ensure you keep getting the support you need.

As of next week, there will be group meetings on key topics that many of our employers ask us about. The first will cover an introduction to CITB, aimed at newly registered employers or existing employers, where their CITB contact has changed, with a session on apprenticeships to follow. You will also soon be able to book 1-2-1 sessions, and I’ll share more information on these in the coming weeks. To find out more and book onto a group session, please click here.

A reminder…

The forecast for industry can be found in our recently published Construction Skills Network 2021-25 interim report. CITB’s COVID-19 Urgent Messages page is refreshed regularly and includes updates on the full range of our work. You can also read the range of support measures made available to UK businesses and employees by the UK Government.

Best wishes and stay safe everyone,

Sarah Beale

Chief Executive

In the past week there has been more news about local lockdowns and support from the Government which present challenges for all of us. With this in mind, I do hope you are keeping well.

Given the changing lockdown measures around the nations and regions, please visit our urgent messages page to keep up to date with changes to our testing services and training.

The outlook for the future has been, understandably, hard to predict, but today we can provide a snapshot of how we think the next five years will look like through a new Construction Skills Network Industry (CSN) Outlook for 2021-25, published today.

Skills needs in the next five years

Despite beginning to recover from the first wave of the pandemic, local lockdowns continue and departure from the Brexit transition period is fast approaching. We’re continuing to research the sector’s future skills needs amid the pandemic and economic uncertainties and are publishing today a short briefing for you on our projections for the next five years.

The report predicts that between 10% and 14% of the construction workforce, or 286,000-372,000 sector workers, may lose their job in 2020, with numbers only fully recovering from 2025. It shows limited recruitment of new entrants and apprenticeship starts over the next year, but with demand picking up from 2023. The forecast shows that the next few years will be difficult for many construction employers and their workforces, as with the rest of the economy. CITB will continue to take action and adapt to changing circumstances to support skills.

In addition, we’ve made four key recommendations to Government to make our recovery strong and sustained. These are:

• protect and retain as much of construction’s existing talent as possible
• make construction a priority sector in the new National Skills Fund
• reform the Apprenticeship Levy so that more money can be spent on smaller companies in the supply chain
• help get more college students into construction jobs and apprenticeships

We hope you find our CSN report useful for you and your business.

Short duration standards update

When claiming grant it is important to use the correct code and Standard name to help us get the payments to you as quickly as possible.

The Grant Codes for Short Duration Standards list has the most up-to-date information, with upcoming changes found in the Construction Training Directory section here.

Remember that the easiest way to get your employees’ details onto the Construction Training Register and to receive your grant payment is by giving your CITB levy registration number to your Approved Training Organisation (ATO) when booking.

Your views on the CITB Grants Scheme

There is still time for you to share your views on the support we offer industry through the Grants Scheme. This is your opportunity to shape what we offer in the future, helping us ensure limited funds are directed to where they can make the most difference for you.

Please complete the feedback form which should take no longer than 10 minutes, by 5pm on 2 November 2020.

Across the construction sector we are all adapting to new ways of working and a very different economy to what had been expected, and I’d like to thank you for taking the time to keep up to date with CITB services, and particularly those of you who have provided feedback this year on how we can better support industry.

A reminder…

CITB’s COVID-19 Urgent Messages page is refreshed regularly and includes updates on the full range of our work. You can also read the range of support measures being made available to UK businesses and employees by the Government.

In these uncertain times, stay safe everyone.

Kind wishes,

Sarah Beale

Chief Executiv