The former government construction advisor Paul Morrell is to conduct a review about the future shape of industrial training boards, including CITB.

The announcement follows the publication of a report by Mark Farmer for the Construction Leadership Council (published 17 Oct 2016) ‘Modernise or Die’which posed a number of questions about the ability of the UK construction sector to maintain and expand capacity, and the effectiveness and future role for the CITB.

Paul Morrell OBE is the former senior partner of Davis Langdon, and from November 2009 to November 2012 he was the UK government’s first Chief Construction Adviser. He led the UK Government, Innovation and Growth Team that produced ‘Low Carbon Construction’ (published in November 2010) and was also the instigator of the ‘Government Construction Strategy’ (published in May 2011) which championed collaboration and the use of information technology – notably building information modelling.

Robert Halfon, Minister of State for Apprenticeships and Skills said: “I am delighted Paul has agreed to lend his experience and advice to this important review. Paul is a highly respected figure both in the industry and in government and is known as a strong force for change and modernisation.

“The government’s ambitious infrastructure and housing plans require a step up in capability and capacity in the construction sector. Training boards can help deliver the skills we desperately need and I look forward to seeing some real recommendations from this review.”