The Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) has today published its Business Plan for 2026–27, setting out how it will invest Levy and other income to support the construction industry to recruit, train and retain a skilled, competent, and inclusive workforce.
This year’s Business Plan has been presented differently to previous plans, reflecting recent decisions made by CITB on how funding is allocated and a clear commitment to greater transparency and accountability to industry.
The Plan provides detailed information on how Levy payers’ money is invested, the balance between direct employer support and longer‑term skills system investment, and how CITB measures the impact of its activity.
In recent months, CITB has made some tough decisions about how funding is targeted to concentrate investment where it delivers the greatest impact and ensure CITB’s resources are focused where they can deliver long‑term value for industry.
Developed as the second year of CITB’s Strategic Plan 2025–29, the Business Plan is shaped to meet the skills challenges facing the industry – particularly by placing a stronger emphasis on progressing trainees into long-term industry workers.
After extensive engagement with employers, training providers and stakeholders across England, Scotland and Wales. Employers told CITB they want it to focus on three priorities: getting more trained people into construction, ensuring good‑quality and relevant training is available when and where it is needed, and improving the skills of the current workforce.
The Business Plan sets out CITB’s investment across three core pillars:
- Inspire and enable diverse and skilled people into construction
- Develop a training and skills system to meet current and future needs
- Support the industry to train, develop and retain its workforce
Over £136 million – more than half of CITB’s investment in 2026–27 – will be provided as direct financial support to employers through grants, funding and employer‑led programmes, alongside significant investment in apprenticeships, work placements, and support for new entrants. The Plan also clearly shows how CITB invests Levy income in industry‑wide initiatives, standards development, competence frameworks, National Construction Colleges and insight that supports strategic workforce planning.
Additionally, to ensure its Strategic Plan and subsequent annual Business Plans are responsive to industry’s priorities, CITB will be launching a consultation on its Strategic Plan later this year with a view to refreshing it to reflect the feedback it receives.
Tim Balcon, CEO at CITB, said: “This Business Plan reflects a conscious shift towards greater transparency and accountability. We want industry to be able to clearly see where their money is invested, how it supports both immediate training needs and longer‑term skills challenges, and how we measure whether it is making a real difference.
“Over the last year, we have had to make some difficult decisions about how we allocate funding. We know these decisions have not been easy for everyone, and it is important that we are open and honest about why we have taken them and how levy payers’ money is being used.
“I am confident that this Plan sets a strong direction for CITB and for the industry we serve, but we also recognise that we do not have all the answers. That’s why we will launch a consultation later this year to hear feedback from industry ahead of refreshing our Strategic Plan. Through collaboration and open dialogue, we can make sure our investment delivers the greatest impact for construction.”
The Business Plan also sets out how CITB will measure success, with clear performance indicators linked to increasing new entrants, supporting more employers to train and upskill their workforce, and helping more individuals to develop the skills industry needs now and in the future.
The full Business Plan for 2026–27 is available at: https://www.citb.co.uk/about-us/plans-and-performance/business-plan
