Retaining the CITB Skills and Training Fund is Essential for Planned Business Growth

Denise Cherry, Yorkshire Independent Roof Training Group (YIRTG) Officer, here responds to the end of the Skills and Training Fund from this September, suddenly announced last week by CITB. CITB says construction companies can apply to the Employers Network for funding – covering 70% of training costs, instead of 100% offered through the Skills & Training Fund.

Denise Cherry, YIRTG Officer

THE CONSTRUCTION Industry Training Board (CITB) has, for several years, provided essential support for a range of training through the Skills and Training Fund, empowering businesses to plan for the future, cultivate talent, and foster progression among their teams. As a roof training advisor with Yorkshire Independent Roof Training Group, I have supported 76% of member companies to take advantage of the Skills and Training Fund.

In 2018, members planned training with a total value of £175,000. Demand has been steady since then, and even allowing for quiet COVID years, the value of training to Yorkshire and Humber companies alone is estimated at close to £1 million.

GNR Geoff Neal (Roofing) has taken advantage of the Skills and Training Fund several times and their team has undertaken courses including L2, L3 and Heritage Slating and Tiling NVQs, Management Training, Leadwork and Zinc training, alongside IPAF, PASMA and general H&S courses. Office Manager Jane Thompson, said, “We have used the Skills and Training Fund regularly to develop our teams and pride ourselves on having very well qualified staff – the reduction in funding could cost the company an extra £3,000 per year”.

Planning Training

The S&T Fund is of vital importance in maintaining a system that prioritises structured training, encouraging employers to look beyond the immediate need and invest in strategic and structured planning for training that supports both individual progression and business goals. The reward for forward planning is that training is 100% funded.

During my company visits I work with employers to develop a skills matrix, and from this a Training Plan is compiled looking at both short- and long-term requirements. Appropriate funding routes are discussed and agreed. All YIRTG members are SMEs and 96% have less than 50 employees. When employers are fully aware of all funding options, there is almost universal agreement to go with the Skills and Training Fund as it is the only route offering 100% funding on the employer’s choice of courses.

Some courses do not attract CITB Grant, these include some of the essential short courses required by roofing companies who seek to grow their business by becoming registered with schemes such as CHAS or Constructionline, or to become part of public sector frameworks.

Matthew Ford, MD of Purple Roofing has made good use of the Skills and Training Fund to help develop his growing business and has used it for NVQs, Slating and Tiling and Leadwork. He has also used the Employer Network to support courses urgently needed but not included in the original plan. “The loss of 100% funding could affect the amount of training we undertake, particularly training which develops the team over and above statutory requirements. Industry turnover is high and those with these additional and advanced skills are in great demand. Funding for training can be difficult to understand, but the effort is worth the reward.”

Employer Network Model

The Employer Network (EN) model, introduced as a pilot in 2022, encourages a reactive approach to training, focused largely on covering the costs of unplanned, easily available, half- or one-day courses, such as Emergency First Aid, Manual Handling and Working at Height.

EN took these courses not funded by grant and offered 70% funding for them – this was their selling point. It made them popular, and later they included Site Safety Plus which does have grant, but is an easy course to source and always in demand as a prerequisite to obtaining a CSCS card. As word got out, numbers of learners exploded, quadrupling in one year.

A breakdown of courses delivered by the Employer Network (presented at the Training Provider Conference in July, 2025) confirmed that the majority of the courses delivered were either one-day Health and Safety Courses or Site Safety Plus.

Only a relatively small number of courses delivered through the Employer Network addressed true skills development.

This funding structure encourages short-term thinking and disjointed development, discouraging companies from planning for the future. Employer Networks in England generally fund courses at 70% of cost and no additional grant is available.

Training Provider Network

Another scheme being developed by CITB is the Training Provider Network, designed to further streamline the training landscape, potentially replacing the Employer Network.

There is no doubt that change is good and indeed required, but the construction industry needs stability and encouragement to plan for progression and skills development.

Moreover, small companies will continue to need professional training advice and guidance, otherwise there is a severe risk of specialist skills development being reduced even further.

The CITB’s mandate is not simply to distribute funds, but to guide the industry towards best practices, innovation, and sustainable growth. The Skills and Training Fund has been a vital tool in achieving this objective.

If the construction industry is to flourish, CITB must continue to offer the Skills and Training Fund and by doing so support planned progression, foster competence, and ensure that every member of the workforce has the opportunity to develop their skills in line with industry standards. The future of the industry depends on it.

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