Nick Boles, the government’s minister of state for skills, has promised further consultation next year on a possible modus vivendi for the CITB levy and the new all-industry apprentiship levy.
Boles was speaking at a parliamentary reception on Tuesday held by the Chartered Institute of Building, where Angela Eagle, shadow secretary of state for business, innovation and skills was also a guest speaker.
Boles said that the CITB levy remaining in place alongside the new levy was very much an option, but also indicated that he would still listen to arguments for a different approach to funding training in the sector.
Addressing an audience of senior figures in the industry, he said: “I would just like to clarify on one point. We are introducing an apprenticeship levy that will be paid by larger employers, that absolutely does not mean that we have decided that the role of the Construction Industry Training Board and its levy is necessarily over.
“We will listen to businesses in the sector, about how they think the two streams work alongside each other. I’ve had very good meetings with [CITB chairman] James Wates and the team at the CITB about how they might mesh, so that people aren’t paying twice, but people are getting the benefits of both the apprenticeship boost from the national levy and the training programmes run by the CITB.
“With construction output in the UK expected to grow by 2.9% per annum until 2030, it’s imperative that the sector is given a clear and effective channel to engage with policymakers.”
Paul Nash, CIOB
“We will be consulting next year with everybody on whether they want to keep both schemes running alongside and supporting each other, or whether they want to go away from that approach. I look forward to hearing from you.”
The CIOB reception brought together senior representatives from across the industry to discuss the importance of UK construction and ways of improving its image to attract more people to a career in the sector.
It also provided an opportunity for construction management professionals to speak directly to parliamentarians about the key long-term issues facing the industry, and where CIOB can help provide solutions.
The reception built on the growing relationship between the CIOB and policy-makers, following its report earlier this year: Understanding the value of professionals and professional bodies.
This identified five key areas where professional bodies add value: on productivity, social mobility, governance and ethics, international development and policy formation.
CIOB senior vice president Paul Nash said: “We know from our own research that professional bodies command significant trust from parliamentarians and the public and are uniquely placed to help deliver solutions to some of the challenges facing the sector.
“With construction output in the UK expected to grow by 2.9% per annum until 2030, it’s imperative that the sector is given a clear and effective channel to engage with policymakers. We welcome the opportunity to discuss with parliamentarians the key issues and look forward to building a world-class industry.”
