Cost cutting by CITB will see reduced training and office moves

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The Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) has today revealed its bold new strategy and proposals for its future offer – Vision 2020: The Future CITB.

These will create the strategic, forward-looking and agile skills body that the industry is seeking.

Plans to modernise and reinvigorate CITB follow the Government’s ITB Review and the triennial Consensus process. While construction voted in favour of continuing the industry levy, it also called for significant reform. These calls reflected industry’s views of CITB’s past performance but were also driven by its need for a skills body that would help it to meet major challenges such as Brexit, productivity and future skills.

Vision 2020: The Future CITB is a strategy that will shape CITB over the next three years into a simpler, more streamlined organisation. It will become a commissioner of outcomes that delivers the industry’s core priorities. The Future CITB will use Levy money to ensure a sustainable training and development market, only intervening to provide a service where it is unavailable on the market, or not to the quality level that is sought.

Sarah Beale, Chief Executive of CITB, says: “Construction needs to modernise and CITB is no exception. We accept the challenges laid down by industry and Government and we will deliver a future-fit training body by adapting and updating our business model.

“Some really tough decisions could be made under these proposals but I’m confident in our commitment to becoming a more representative, accountable and reliable ‘levy in, skills out’ organisation. We now have a clearly defined path, and we see a bright future for a modern, engaged CITB. We look forward to working with our industry and Government to build a better Britain.”

CITB’s three main priorities remain as Careers, Standards and Qualifications and Training and Development. The new organisation will have the following approach to delivering them:

Evidence – Develop a strong evidence base through research and market intelligence to determine the industry’s current and future skills needs, the supply of training and what interventions CITB needs to make.

Influence – Work with industry, influencing skills funding, vocational training, government policies and provisions. 

Funding – Use employer funds to support construction, with employers addressing their skills needs.

To become more accountable, CITB has developed its Agenda for Change, a six-point set of outcomes for 2018 and beyond. It includes commitments to be more relevant, representative and responsive to industry’s needs, from SMEs to major contractors. CITB has also pledged to adapt its governance bodies so that they accurately reflect and represent the modern construction industry.

The process starts today, by sharing Vision 2020: The Future CITB with colleagues at an internal briefing. Communication, information and support for employees will continue throughout this programme.

Vision 2020: The Future CITB sets out a significant operational redesign needed to ensure CITB realises its vision and commitment to become a tightly focused, strategic body. CITB will target its expertise and the industry’s resources to do fewer things but do them better. This includes proposals to exit direct delivery of training through the National Construction College and cease services such as administering the card schemes.

The proposed plan includes a move for the organisation’s Head Office from Bircham Newton, Norfolk, with Peterborough earmarked as a likely new base – supported by the infrastructure and access afforded by a modern, connected city. In addition, there will be small co-located offices in London, Scotland and Wales to help deliver sector partnerships. Around two-thirds of the workforce will remain mobile in order to be closer to CITB’s customers.

The plans include the outsourcing of internal corporate support functions* and customer operations; the  proposal is to outsource these by the end of 2018.

Sarah Beale, Chief Executive at CITB, commented: “I understand this strategy will bring about big changes to employees at CITB and we will be supporting our colleagues as much as possible throughout this process. These are tough calls to make, but needed if we are to meet the future demands and make the greatest impact to construction.  We have worked hard to develop robust, well thought-out plans which meet our industry’s needs whilst building a solid foundation for CITB’s future. The proposals outlined today will be phased in over the next three years, and with our customers always in mind it’s business as usual.”

Vision 2020: The Future CITB

1. Internal corporate support functions to be outsourced under the Vision 2020: The Future CITB plans:

Finance

Procurement and Contract Management

Legal

HR

Business Improvement

Marketing

Estates and Facilities Management.

Customer services to be outsourced:

Customer Operations

Apprenticeship Processing.

2.    For employees, the plan is:

• Two-thirds of employees remain mobile
• Around one-third employees in a new Head Office, with a preferred location of Peterborough
• A small office in Wales, co-located with the University of Wales Trinity St David in Swansea
• A small office in Scotland, co-located with a key stakeholder
• A new office in London to house the External Affairs team, working with the media and central government.