CITB highlights 2018

Developed following feedback from levy-payers, industry and the Government’s ITB Review, Vision 2020: Business Plan 2018-21 (PDF, 552KB) saw a range of ambitious CITB reforms introduced across England, Scotland and Wales.

Highlights from an exceptionally busy year included:

• CITB’s work to help over 800 Carillion apprentices find new jobs
  Our £500,000 fund to train 156 construction workers as mental health first aid instructors 
  The launch of CITB’s biggest ever funding opportunity, Pathways into Construction.

In Scotland our Local Construction Needs for Scotland report provided industry north of the border with the most wide-ranging skills mapping exercise it’s ever seen.

Meanwhile Wales saw the opening of the Construction Wales Innovation Centre (CWIC). CITB invested £6.5m in CWIC, a unique all-Wales “Hub & Spokes” training facility.

Here’s our review of a busy year:

January

Construction giant Carillion ceased trading in January. CITB took swift action to secure the future of the 1,400 Carillion apprentices affected by the announcement. By November, 800 apprentices were offered alternative apprenticeships.

January saw a new £1.5m CITB funding opportunity open for employers able to show how immersive learning can enhance training. The commission followed recommendations in CITB’s 2017 report A New Reality: Immersive Learning in Construction.

February

CITB's annual CSN forecast was published this month. It estimated that 158,000 new construction jobs would be created by 2022. For the fourth consecutive year Wales led UK growth estimates.

Also in February, CITB’s commitment to fighting fraud was demonstrated by our work assisting an investigation into the production and supply of fake identity documents. The case led to the jailing of seven men for a combined total of 16 years.

March

CITB figures revealed the recruitment of Scottish construction apprentices grew for the seventh successive year.

April

CITB’s Business Plan was unveiled in April along with our transformative Training Model and new Grants Scheme. The Business Plan will help ensure CITB becomes the streamlined, ”levy in, skills out” organisation industry wants. The new Training Model and Grants Scheme are central features of our Vision 2020 programme.

May

Peter Lauener, one of the country’s leading skills and apprenticeships experts, became CITB Chair in May.

Also a new £2.1m partnership between the Finishes and Interiors Sector (FIS) and CITB which will attract 1,500 new entrants into the sector by 2020, was publicised.

We also announced £500,000 funding to train 156 construction workers as mental health first aid instructors.  

June

Skills Minister Anne Milton appointed three leading construction figures - Kevin Mcloughlin MBE, Robert Williams MBE and Steve Fox CBE - to the CITB Board in June.

The month ended with the launch of a £22m fund to help improve skills. The Construction Skills Fund will be administered by CITB and allow learners to apply their knowledge in a real-world environment.

July

CITB’s new Green Paper Migration in the UK Construction and Built Environment Sector  revealed that while a growing number of employers are feeling the effects of Brexit, less than a third have taken action as it approaches, or even plan to do so.

CITB launched the first skills analysis for Scottish construction in July. The most wide-ranging skills mapping exercise for construction north of the border, the analysis provided a five-year overview of skills, demand and supply.

August

As part of our reforming Vision 2020 reform programme we reported the divesting of our card schemes to other suitable providers, including the CPCS scheme.

September

We announced new members of the Nation Councils for England, Scotland and Wales in September.

October

CITB’s Unlocking construction’s digital future: A skills plan for industry was published in October. The report explained how digital technology has the potential to transform UK construction.

CITB’s biggest-ever funding opportunity opened during a busy month. The £5m Pathways into Construction fund will connect employers with the unemployed; women of all ages; and full-time learners who study construction but struggle to join the industry.

In Wales the launch of CWIC was described as “a major catalyst for delivering the Welsh Government’s Employability Plan for Wales.”  

An exciting new app-based game demonstrating the benefits of a career in construction was launched at the Skills Scotland show at Glasgow’s SEC in October. ‘Construction Manager’ was commissioned by CITB and is part of a £2 million Joint Investment Strategy with various partners.

November

During November CITB announced an outsourcing contract with Shared Services Connected Ltd. as part of CITB’s Vision 2020 programme.

December

The impact of CITB funding on a social enterprise in Lanark was highlighted in December. Dougie Smith, of Langloch Farm, told us that over £9,000 CITB funding “gave us an opportunity to invest in the business by upskilling employees.”

Looking ahead, CITB Chair Peter Lauener called for new CITB trustees to join our Board and ensure CITB remains an accountable, representative and responsive organization for UK construction.

Please visit CITB’s Facebook page to view our special CITB advent calendar which, during December, features infographics with more facts and stats on our achievements this year.

We hope you enjoyed reading our 2018 highlights. We look forward to sharing more with you in 2019.