CITB chief executive Sarah Beale
Kier received the most of any single contractor in grant funding from the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) in 2018/19, according to a new league table.
The table, published along with CITB’s annual accounts, showed that Kier Group received £3.2m in grants over the period, followed by Barratt Developments with £2.3m and Royal BAM Group with £2.3m.
The list (below) shows the 15 biggest payments to individual companies and institutions. It also reveals that other recipients received £91.7m over the period, meaning that CITB paid out just over £115m in total in grant funding for the year to 31 March 2019.
Source: CITB annual report and accounts 2018/19
The organisation had net incoming funds of £30.2m in 2018/19, compared to net outgoing funds of £68m in the prior 15-month period. CITB said the surplus was as a result of lower levels of claims from employers, lower levels of apprenticeships across the country, and an increase in non-levy income.
Levy income for the period was £188.7m, down from £211.4m the year before. The levy rate was reduced to 0.35% on direct labour payments (PAYE) and remained at 1.25% on net Construction Industry Scheme (CIS) payments. The number of employers in the levy and grant register was 75,605, compared to 69,070 as at 31 March 2018.
Commenting on the accounts, Sarah Beale, CITB chief executive, said: “61% of CITB grant funding goes to micro, small and medium-sized employers, with more than £69m invested in skills over the past year. In addition, we’ve grown the Skills and Training Fund. In the last year, we have invested over £6m to support 1,300 small firms. This year we aim to reach 1,900 small firms and will introduce a new £4m fund for medium-sized employers next year.
“We are also focusing on key industry priorities such as attracting more recruits and helping then more workers get into construction. Our recent onsite announcement will see a further £17.8m invested in England, Scotland Wales, ensuring that, together with existing Hubs, 31,000 site-ready workers are available for employers of all sizes.
“The board sets strategy based on a range of evidence of industry priorities to ensure that Levy money delivers a meaningful return on investment to micro, small, medium and large employers but CITB employees decide where the money is invested, helping to make sure that Britain’s construction workers get the training they need.”
CITB has been in the throes of change as it rolls out its Vision 2020 programme and last year unveiled a new training and grants model. It has also outsourced many of its back-office functions, resulting in some job losses.
Chairman Peter Lauener detailed how CITB planned to launch a three-year behaviour change campaign in partnership with industry to attract new and diverse talent in 2019/20, as well as creating new work experience and training opportunities through the Construction Skills Fund. The CITB has already started drawing on government funding to start 26 onsite training hubs at a cost of £21.4m in England. It expects to create 17,000 site-ready workers through the initiative. From September, it will also launch an £18m programme to deliver 14,000 work experience opportunities in Wales and Scotland and on smaller sites in England.
