Businesses Feel ‘Ignored and Let Down’ by CITB says MP in Parliament

Businesses “feel largely ignored and let down by the CITB,” Steve Race MP for Exeter said, during a debate in Parliament about the sudden ending of funding for construction training groups by the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB).

He said “The withdrawal of funding for training groups has made them feel sidelined and disillusioned.”

The parliamentary debate followed news in November that CITB is ending its funding of training groups from 31 March 2026.

Close on its heels was a further announcement by CITB on 8 December 2025 that it was slashing funding for training from 8 January 2026 by 50% and removing short course training grants altogether.

Retrograde Step 

Questions were put to Sir Stephen Timms, Minister for Social Security and disability during the debate in the House of Commons chamber on 4 February.

Rebecca Smith, MP for South West Devon asked if MPs agreed “that losing the skills and expertise of local training groups… funded by the CITB, and instead having centralised delivery from CITB in London, would be a retrograde step that risks us losing local construction skills?”

Steve Race agreed, fearing “she might be right”, lamenting the end of CITB funding for Group Training Officers who provide local businesses with “a wealth of local knowledge and experience” on training.

It’s not only training that the 80 group officers provide either, Steve said. He pointed to the promotion of construction careers in schools and colleges, signposting to apprenticeships and training advice to businesses that the groups provide.

“Without the [CITB] grant, the training groups will likely close, and with the loss of the groups, vital local networks and local knowledge will be lost”, Steve Race added.

“Companies that are committed to developing skilled, competent staff in their industries hope that the CITB will reconsider, given the impact that the adjustments may have on employers.”

Employer Networks

Bringing into question CITB’s assertion that its Employer Networks replacing the training groups will be more effective, Steve Race quoted a business owner who had told him:

“They have been provided with an excellent service, including quality training and last-minute training if required, and they have built a solid working relationship over the last 16 years with their training group officer, who understands their company and their training needs. The group enables networking between group members, and supports many aspects of their business. In their opinion, training groups were the best thing that CITB supported, and they are sad to say that their relationship with CITB is nowhere near as solid.”

He added that feedback he’s received on CITB’s Employer Networks was that “small and medium-sized enterprises consider the groups to be remote and impersonal, and that they take longer to organise training.”

Protest Resignation

Steve cited the resignation of roofing company CEO, Mike Wharton from CITB’s Funding Committee in protest at the decision to cut funding for training groups which “will undoubtedly increase, rather than decrease, the skills gap,” commenting “That surely cannot be right.”

He said SMEs were “feeling pretty much left out to dry by the CITB”.

Minister, Sir Stephen Timms responded, “For many years, CITB training groups have supported businesses by securing cost-effective training through collective bargaining, and by helping firms with grant applications, facilitating workforce planning and sharing best practice along the lines set out by my hon. Friend. I put on record the Government’s thanks to all group training chairs and officers.”

However, he continued that CITB has concluded the training group model “has significant limitations”. He highlighted that funding for the groups is diverted from training into administration and that group members are often required to pay membership fees. He added “It is quite expensive to run; each group receives an annual £35,000 support grant” – a total of £2.8m across the 80 groups nationally.

He said “The decision to replace training groups with employer networks is an operational decision for the CITB, which points out that its pilot has provided evidence that the employer network model is better.”

He repeated “the CITB’s view” which “is that the employer network model is simpler, faster, more cost effective, and more flexible. In its view, it better supports SMEs.”

The half-hour debate ended with a reported offer from Tim Balcon, CITB CEO, to discuss the matter further with Steve Rees.

The Roof Training Groups are still waiting for CITB’s promised new model to deliver specialist sector training that was supposed to be advertised by tender in January and which CITB had said the groups could submit a bid to deliver.

CITB has been contacted for comment.

>> Read more about CITB in the news