Responding to today’s announcement from the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) that it will be suspending levy payments from industry until September, Brian Berry, Chief Executive of the Federation of Master Builders (FMB), said: “The cut in the CITB levy which equates to 25% over a two year period is welcome relief for those building companies struggling in the current climate when many are experiencing lower levels of enquiries and restrictions on their ability to work. The delay in the consensus process is sensible given the added pressures that the construction industry is facing.”
Berry concluded: “It’s important now that the CITB focuses its energy on getting money out of the door to support builders to train, and that they improve communication with SMEs who find it harder than is acceptable to access CITB services. The construction industry still faces a skills crisis, and any future skills plan mustn’t overlook the core role that SMEs play in developing talent, especially as they train over 70% of the industry apprentices.”