The Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) has announced a series of changes it is making to the funding and grant system.
The reforms include cutting grants for short courses and changing employer access to funding.
Demand for CITB’s services has risen 36% over the last four years, but over this same period, the Levy rate has not increased. At current levels, demand for support will exceed Levy income, says CITB.
Some of the funding and grant changes will come into effect from 8 January 2026. These include:
- Removal of the short-course training grant, with Employer Networks as the main replacement funding route and a small number of courses to still be grant-funded.
- The scope of what is funded by Employer Networks is changing, as well as a reduction of the rate to 50% match funding.
- Funding for level 7 qualifications and the attendance grant from long qualifications will be stopped.
- All non-apprentice achievement grants will be £600.
The following changes will come into effect from 1 April 2026:
- Large employers will be moved to a single large employer funding offer.
- Large employers will no longer be able to access Employer Networks.
Challenging period for employers
Commenting on the changes, Tim Balcon, CITB’s chief executive, said: “First and foremost, we want to apologise for the short notice for some of these changes. This was done to avoid surge claiming that will put our ability to support employers at risk. We had planned to transition our funding model gradually, giving employers time to adjust. The pace of demand growth means we need to act faster than we intended – and faster than we would have liked.
“While it is good news that there has been an increase in demand for our services, we have maintained the same Levy rate. This, balanced against the increased demand, means it’s necessary to bring forward changes to ensure we’re delivering the greatest value for the greatest number of employers.
“We appreciate this is a change for employers at a challenging time.”
Employers are advised to visit the CITB website or contact their local CITB engagement adviser for more information.
