House building companies should only get planning if apprentice numbers are met

@CITB_UK has published its formal consultation report with employers on the proposal to exempt more small employers from Levy payment proposals and on whether training funds were being reinvested in the right areas.

The purpose of this consultation was two-fold. As part of the Consensus 2020 process CITB consulted with construction employers on the CITB Levy Proposals 2021-23.

The Consultation was open from 16th March to 17th May 2020. In addition to the Levy Proposals, CITB also looked for views on whether its investment plans for the following three years were targeted in the right areas.

Mike Hobday, CITB Head of Policy and External Affairs, said:

“This consultation formed part of our commitment to be a responsive, collaborative and proactive organisation, working closely with the construction sector to achieve its priorities. We have also spoken to over 6,000 employers to offer support on a 1-1 basis and worked closely with trade federations to understand their members’ needs.”

Examples of comments from the consultation are as follows:

“Large construction firms should have to have a minimum number of trainees. These should be employed directly not through sub-contractors.”

“House building companies should only get planning if apprentice numbers are met.”

“On-site training is not an option to every company.”

“It’s important to get new apprentices in but it is also really important to support employers, so they are able to take the risk of taking on an apprentice in the first place. Access to grant and cheap finance would be a help and front loaded so that the apprentice has chance to get settled but their wages and other costs are covered before they are able to actively contribute to the income of the business.”

“Whilst training and onsite experience should be funded and supported I do not feel that companies who will not benefit at all should have to contribute to this! I think more apprenticeships are more valuable than classroom courses in this field.”

“The maintenance of workforce competence, although it provides a stable competence level, would benefit businesses better financially if we could claim some grants for these renewals.”

“I agree with the suggestions on the 10 areas, it seems it addresses all areas of construction training, starting with decision making (getting involved) through the final trained person, who is to keep up with the current construction knowledge and to be a competence worker. I think the 10 areas addresses all issues.”

Attracting young people into the construction sector, many feel that more work is needed in this regard:

“CITB needs to do more to attract young people into the sector.”

“We are totally unimpressed with the CITB’s effectiveness in attracting young people into our industry. We employ over 250 staff and have many opportunities, but we have only 3 apprentices.”

“It is so important for the construction industry to get into schools and promote the industry as one where a good living can be made and people can start their own business if they want or work for an employer.”

Within our new Skills Stability Plan, our total focus is supporting employers through this crisis to meet their training needs, make training accessible and help apprentices complete their programmes

Watch this video for an overview.

full plan here ? https://t.co/zKSIUhmPmo pic.twitter.com/iZgZPjP3b1

— CITB (@CITB_UK) July 6, 2020