CITB inject £30m into the industry to incentivise training

In a move to get the construction industry training and back into growth, CITB – the Construction Industry Training Board – is rewarding employers with extra funding for training carried out under the 2012/2013 Grants scheme.

CITB’s Training Committee – with members drawn from across the industry – has agreed to provide an exceptional training grant of £15m to reward employers, and will make an extra £15m available to incentivise employers to train within the 2013/14 Grants Scheme.

The Training Committee decision was ratified by the full CITB board at its meeting yesterday (July 24^th). All grant claiming employers will be eligible for the additional funding.

The additional grant will be based on a percentage of all grants claimed by employers (excluding the supplementary payment).

The percentage, which will be determined after the Grants Scheme closes on 31 October, is likely to be  12 -15 % of grants claimed with a minimum payment of £250 for each year, for all grant claimers.  Employers will not have to claim the exceptional training grant – it will be paid automatically to eligible employers (normal Grants Scheme rules apply) in December 2013 and 2014.

Judy Lowe, Deputy Chairman of CITB and Chairman of the Training Committee said: “The aim of this cash injection is to incentivise training and to reward those who have continued to train, despite the economic downturn.

Since the recession, we have seen a substantial drop in training but we hope that this money will kick-start the industry into upskilling and investing in their employees. Ultimately, CITB’s aim is to invest the industry’s levy back into industry skills and training to make businesses competitive, now and in the future. We believe this announcement will provide a welcome catalyst.”

Ian Dickerson, who sits on the Training Committee as an industry representative and is Head of New Entrants & Funding at Kier Group plc. said: “The decision to pay this additional funding straight away will be welcomed by employers of all sizes.

“Businesses need funds to enable training to be carried out, so releasing this funding at the earliest opportunity will help to stimulate additional training within the industry, whilst rewarding those businesses that have continued to develop their employees during the recession.”

For more information on how to take advantage of the CITB Grants Scheme, visit www.citb.co.uk