Will a Single Industry Training Board Benefit Roofing?

The government consultation on proposals to merge the construction and engineering training boards closes on 14 June.

Consultation on Proposed Merger of CITB & ECITB

The consultation proposes creating a single Industry Training Board (ITB), combining the Engineering Construction Industry Training Board (ECITB) and the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB).

Government says combining the two boards will simplify the skills system and mean more training, better use of funding and clearer routes into skilled work. Reform is aimed at delivering “a more strategic, coordinated and efficient approach to skills planning, with diverse and flexible training pathways”.

The goals are to strengthen the new entrants pipeline; develop flexible training and common competence frameworks that improve retention and productivity, and increase the portability of skills e.g. modular training programmes; encourage the take up of skills training; and provide end to end skills planning for major projects.

Workforce Development Agency

The plans follow publication of Mark Farmer’s damning report on the CITB in January 2025, which called for a “fundamental reset” of the arm’s length government organisation.

Farmer said that any merged organisation should be focused on acting as a workforce development agency with specialist, sub-sector specific implementation teams. Presumably this would include the roofing sector.

Decisions in the new organisation should be data-driven, according to Farmer, and the NFRC has said it is strengthening data collection from its members so that the roofing sector can influence this process.

Disparate Industries and Sectors

Matt Bridge, MD of Colonial Construction is urging all stakeholders to respond to the consultation in order that a proper mandate for change is provided by industry, rather than government taking the decision to merge the training boards by default.

He points out that the two organisations proposed for merger represent very disparate industries and may not have the same priorities for training, competence and qualifications.

ECITB represents engineering design, project management, project controls, construction, repair, maintenance and decommissioning of process plant and machinery spanning the energy, infrastructure and other major process industries. Sectors include oil and gas, power generation, nuclear, renewables, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, food processing and water treatment.

CITB represents building construction and structural work, building services and interior installation, building fabric maintenance and repair, roofing and cladding, groundworks, civil engineering and infrastructure, insulation and environmental control, specialist construction trades and labour supply for construction.

Distinct Franchise

They also have a distinct franchise – ECITB has only 297 registered businesses with an average levy of around £115,000 per year; while the CITB has over 70,000 registered businesses paying an average levy of around £3,000 per year (although the majority of its funds come from relatively few Tier 1 contractors).

The ECITB has set out how it sees the consultation and its background, and is also urging its members to respond to the consultation.

How Will the Roofing Sector Respond?

Mike Wharton, Chief Executive of Complete Roofing Systems, and former member of the CITB Funding Committee who resigned last year in protest following CITB’s decision to stop funding roofing training groups, thinks this is the time to close CITB itself.

He commented, “No to the merger and no to the continuation of CITB. Enough is enough.” He added that any replacement organisations should be more trade specific.

It is not difficult to appreciate the context of this perspective in the roofing sector.

The roofing industry is a net contributor to construction industry training. In 2024, roofing companies received grants and funding from CITB amounting to £4,273,911.

In the same period, CITB claimed £11,928,723.00 in levy from roofing companies– almost £8 million more than CITB spent on funding roof training.

Dismantling of the roof training groups has been almost total. Out of 10 roof training groups, there are now only 2 that remain operating, and their long term survival is questionable. It is probable that CITB funding of roof training will reduce even further as roofing companies are not proactively encouraged to invest in roofing training and confusion about CITB’s new funding systems is widespread.

Responding to the Consultation

The government is inviting views from employers, training providers and stakeholders across England, Scotland and Wales with the consultation closing on Sunday 14 June 2026.

Click here to respond to the consultation before 14 June 2026.

A government decision is expected in autumn 2026. If the decision is to proceed, there would be further consultations on the single ITB’s strategy and levy proposals with the new body to be potentially established by 2028.

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