Industry training came in for criticism at the annual FIS conference in Warwickshire last month, but CITB chief executive Adrian Belton answered critics by outlining a streamlining of CITB so that it becomes more responsive.
Earlier in the day Suzannah Nichol MBE, Build UK chief executive, told delegates that resources were a critical component of the construction industry’s future but that taking on only 10,000 apprentices a year is dismal and that the £163 million in training levy should be spent more wisely.
Mr Belton told FIS delegates that CITB had spent the last 12 months removing unnecessary tiers of management and starting to move away from delivering direct training to become an enabler and promoter.
An early review of CITB by Mr Belton had found that CITB staff spent only 20 per cent of their time actively working with their customers and that the remainder was wasted on managing themselves.
Delegates heard that one of the big changes has been the streamlining of grants. Gone are the days when a complex web of grants made it difficult for contractors to access funds. Some 50 grants have been replaced by just two.
Mr Belton said: “In future we’re going to be more like investment fund managers managing pots of funds and looking for a return on our investments with clear objectives that will benefit the industry. We want to get a bigger bang for our buck.”
Find out more: www.citb.co.uk
