The Department for Education has published the Government’s response to the ITB Review, which was conducted by Mark Farmer in 2023 and finalised last year.
The report stresses the vital need for the work of the Industrial Training Boards (ITBs) within the construction and engineering construction industries and concludes that the ITB levy-grant model should be retained. Indeed, it states that the role of the ITBs should be strengthened and calls on them to do more.
It reinforces that both the CITB and ECITB exist to meet the industries’ specialist skills needs. The ITBs are needed to address the market failure in training provision, driving up skill levels and incentivising training that would otherwise not take place.
The Minister of State for Skills, The Rt Hon Baroness Smith of Malvern, supported many of the recommendations laid out in the report including that the ITB model should be retained.
Among the 17 strategic recommendations, the review proposes that the CITB and ECITB should form a single body. The Government’s position is that while there are significant benefits to greater alignment and collaboration between the two ITBs, there are currently no plans to legislate to create a single body. A steering group will be set up to consider implementation of all recommendations.
In the meantime, the Minister has requested greater collaboration between the CITB and ECITB on specific areas such as infrastructure across Great Britain, increasing trainers, clean energy jobs and skills passporting. Work is already underway to develop joint action in these areas.
Tim Balcon, CEO of CITB said: “Importantly, the report recognises the significant skills challenges facing the construction and engineering industries and the vital role that the ITBs play in helping address these. Further, it asserts that the best way of doing so is to retain the ITB model and industry-specific levies.
“Grant funding for apprenticeships and new entrants is vital, with more than two-thirds of apprenticeship starts in the construction industry being employed by companies of fewer than 50 employees.
“We are already well advanced in improving our engagement with employers and learners, such as the nationwide rollout of our Employer Networks and the significant improvements at our National Construction Colleges.
“Additionally, we’re addressing many of the areas identified within the report through our strategic plan. We are working with industry and all our partners to develop a training and skills system that works now and in the future. A system that supports industry in training its workforce and helps bring skilled and diverse workers into industry.
“We already work in close collaboration with ECITB on some key areas and we will expand this into a more formal collaboration where it offers value to the sector.
“We must move at pace to work together to tackle the joint needs of industry without the delay and disruption that legislative or structural changes would surely bring and that would inevitably be detrimental to industry success. We need to be laser-focused on addressing industry needs by providing standardised levels of competence, alternative routes into industry and making it easier and cheaper to access high-quality training.”
Brian Berry, Chief Executive of the FMB, said for too long the construction industry has been plagued by an ongoing skills crisis which is holding back economic growth.
“The urgent need to build new infrastructure projects and deliver much needed housing won’t happen unless there is radical review of the training landscape – the Mark Farmer report shows the way forward,” he said.
“The report’s recognition that the Industry Training Boards need to stay will allow for stability, but we fully support the frank assessment that things need to change if we are to have a modern workforce to meet the needs of a modern economy. The proposed refresh of construction occupational and qualification standards is long overdue, as is the need for the Industry Training Boards to review their scope to take account of new markets within the construction sector - most notably the retrofit market.
“If the Government is to deliver its ambitious infrastructure and housing targets, then it makes sense for them to implement the Mark Farmer report in full.”
The National Federation of Roofing Contractors (NFRC) also welcomed the recommendations.
NFRC is encouraged by the recommendation to strengthen partnerships between ITBs and trade bodies in developing industry-relevant training initiatives.
“We hope these recommendations will enhance the already strong relationship NFRC has with the CITB,” said NFRC CEO James Talman.
“Our team already has direct involvement with developing industry-relevant standards and training and will continue to do so as we continue professionalising roofing.”
NFRC is strengthening data collection from its Members and working with the CITB to adopt best practices, enabling more informed, data-driven decision-making. This will feed into the review’s recommendation to utilise industry data to inform strategic planning.
“The better our data, the better our ability to identify holes in standards and training provision. We are always working hard to understand our Members’ needs,” said Talman.
NFRC recognises the importance of regional accessibility for roofing training programmes and is working hard to plug gaps across the UK by connecting Members with appropriate training providers and CITB training groups.
There are still areas of the UK that lack accessible training provision, and we welcome the recommendation for ITBs to establish regional training centres in collaboration with trade bodies to address area-specific needs.
“Training accessibility is a key issue reported by NFRC Members across the UK. We hope to see this recommendation taken seriously going forward,” said Talman.
Andrew Hockey, CEO of the ECITB, said: “The report highlights the value that both the ECITB and CITB make to our respective industries. It cites the ECITB’s work on Connected Competence, our programmes to grow new entrants and our Regional Skills Hub initiative as good examples of what needs to be done, and what can be scaled up.
“We welcome closer collaboration with the CITB, particularly in the area of infrastructure skills where there is the most commonality between the ITBs’ respective footprints.
“As the review acknowledges, there is significant benefit in both ITBs collaborating more closely on infrastructure; nuclear new build being a clear example where workers in both civil construction and the engineering construction industry (ECI) work alongside each other.
“We are already working with the CITB and EDF on strategic skills planning for Sizewell C with a view to developing whole-career training pathways and interventions that span both the civil and ECI phases of that project.
“Formalising this approach for nuclear and other key infrastructure projects – such as those centred around the decarbonisation of the UK’s industrial clusters – will be highly beneficial and should strengthen delivery and impact.
“We have started the process of scoping the recommendations and developing plans to implement them, which will involve consultation with industry and government. We are already addressing many of the structural skills challenges highlighted by the review and will further build upon these as we develop our new strategy, which will be published later this year.
“In the meantime, we will continue to deliver our mandate from industry to lead industry learning. This includes attracting new entrants, expanding the entry pathways into industry and supporting high-quality training provision.”
Last reviewed in 2017, the ITB review assessed the role and effectiveness of both the Engineering Construction Industry Training Board (ECITB) and the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB). The review results from a requirement, set by the Cabinet Office, for all public bodies to be reviewed periodically.
View the full report along with the Government’s response 2023 Industry Training Board (ITB) review
