The Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) has revealed that it will outsource internal support functions and stop direct delivery of training through the National Construction College. Job losses seem inevitable as CITB published its new strategy and proposals for its future offer – Vision 2020: The Future CITB.
CITB say that the plans will create the strategic, forward-looking and agile skills body that the industry is seeking and is its reponse to calls for the training body to reform.
Vision 2020: The Future CITB is a strategy that will shape CITB over the next three years into a simpler, more streamlined organisation. It will become a commissioner of outcomes that delivers the industry’s core priorities. The Future CITB will use Levy money to ensure a sustainable training and development market, only intervening to provide a service where it is unavailable on the market, or not to the quality level that is sought.
Sarah Beale, chief executive of CITB, said: “Construction needs to modernise and CITB is no exception. We accept the challenges laid down by industry and Government and we will deliver a future-fit training body by adapting and updating our business model.
“Some really tough decisions could be made under these proposals but I’m confident in our commitment to becoming a more representative, accountable and reliable ‘levy in, skills out’ organisation. We now have a clearly defined path, and we see a bright future for a modern, engaged CITB. We look forward to working with our industry and Government to build a better Britain.”
CITB’s three main priorities remain as Careers, Standards and Qualifications and Training and Development.
Vision 2020: The Future CITB sets out a significant operational redesign needed to ensure CITB realises its vision and commitment to become a tightly focused, strategic body. CITB will target its expertise and the industry’s resources to do fewer things but do them better. This includes proposals to exit direct delivery of training through the National Construction College and cease services such as administering the card schemes.
The proposed plan includes a move for the organisation’s Head Office from Bircham Newton, Norfolk, with Peterborough earmarked as a likely new base. In addition, there will be small co-located offices in London, Scotland and Wales to help deliver sector partnerships. Around two-thirds of the workforce will remain mobile in order to be closer to CITB’s customers.
The plans also include the outsourcing of internal corporate support functions* and customer operations; the proposal is to outsource these by the end of 2018.
